I  '•-•:• 

ill 


II     1  -*   l^v*       \      1  A:*    \  " 
^  1  J   >  IN.  +  \.  IX    X 

HI 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

<  T  I  K ' ! '   Q  F 

•  Vy 

/ 


v-M). 


Jlaturin  JH.  38allotu 


THE    PEARL    OF    INDIA.     Crown  8 vo,  $1.50. 

THE   STORY  OF   MALTA.     Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

EQUATORIAL  AMERICA.  Descriptive  of  a  Visit  to  St. 
Thomas,  Martinique,  Barbadoes,  and  the  Principal  Capi- 
tals of  South  America.  Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

AZTEC   LAND.     Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

THE  NEW  ELDORADO.  A  Summer  Journey  to  Alaska. 
Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

ALASKA.  The  New  Eldorado.  A  Summer  Journey  to  Alaska. 
Tounsfs  Edition,  with  4  maps.  i6mo,  $1.00. 

DUE  WEST;  or,  ROUND  THE  WORLD  IN  TEN  MONTHS. 
Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

DUE  SOUTH  ;  or,  CUBA  PAST  AND  PRESENT.  Crown  8vo, 
$1.50. 

UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS;  or,  TRAVELS  IN  AUS- 
TRALASIA. Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

DUE  NORTH  ;  or,  GLIMPSES  OF  SCANDINAVIA  AND  RUSSIA. 
Crown  8vo,  $1.50. 

GENIUS  IN  SUNSHINE  AND  SHADOW.   Crown  8vo,$  1.50. 

EDGE-TOOLS  OF  SPEECH.  Selected  and  edited  by  Mr. 
BALLOU.  8vo,  $3.50. 

A  TREASURY  OF  THOUGHT.  An  Encyclopedia  of  Quo- 
tations. 8vo,  full  gilt,  $3.50. 

PEARLS  OF  THOUGHT.     i6mo,  full  gilt,  $1.25. 

NOTABLE  THOUGHTS  ABOUT  WOMEN.  Crown  8vo, 
#1.50. 

HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  &  COMPANY, 
BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK. 


THE   PEARL  OF    INDIA 


BY 

MATURIN    M.    BALLOU 


From  India  and  the  Golden  Chersonese, 
And  utmost  Indian  Isle  Taprobanes. 
MILTON 


SECOND    EDITION 


UFI7BRSIT7 


BOSTON   AND    NEW  YORK 
HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND   COMPANY 


1895 


Copyright,  1894, 
BY  MATURIN   M.  BALLOU. 

All  rights  reserved. 


The  Riverside  Press,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 
Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  H.  O.  Houghton  and  Company. 


PREFACE. 


THAT  many  readers  evince  a  growing  satisfaction 
in  contemplating  foreign  lands  through  the  eyes  of 
experienced  travelers,  the  favor  shown  to  previous 
books  by  the  author  of  these  pages  abundantly  tes- 
tifies. Mutual  profit  is  therefore  the  outcome  of  such 
a  work ;  both  the  author  and  reader  are  gratified. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  depict  scenes  which  have 
afforded  so  much  gratification  to  the  writer,  for 
enjoyment  is  redoubled  by  being  shared,  — "  joy 
was  born  a  twin."  The  undersigned  has  often 
been  asked  both  personally  and  by  letter,  "Of  all 
the  places  you  have  seen  and  written  about,  which 
do  you  consider  of  the  most  interest,  and  which  do 
you  recommend  me  to  visit?"  This  is  a  very  dif- 
ficult question  to  answer,  because  individual  tastes 
differ  so  widely.  It  is  safe  to  say  no  point 
presents  more  varied  attractions  to  the  observant 
traveler,  more  thoroughly  and  picturesquely  exhib- 
its equatorial  life,  or  addresses  itself  more  directly 
to  the  delicate  appreciation  of  the  artist,  botanist, 


iv  PREFACE. 

antiquarian,  general  scientist,  and  sportsman,  than 
does  Ceylon,  gem  of  the  Orient.  There  are  few 
attractive  places  in  the  East  which  are  so  access- 
ible, or  which  may  be  said  to  offer  more  rea- 
sonable assurance  of  safety  and  good  health  to  the 
stranger,  than  this  fabled  isle  of  Arabian  story.  The 
climate  is  equable  and  most  delightful;  though  the 
temperature  is  exceptionally  high,  it  is,  in  fact,  per- 
petual summer,  varied  only  by  the  rains  of  the  mon- 
soon months  of  May  and  June,  October  and  Novem- 
ber. The  tropical  heat  near  the  coast  is  trying  to 
northern  visitors,  but  one  can  always  find  a  refuge, 
within  a  day's  journey,  up  in  the  hills  of  the  central 
province,  where  it  is  so  cool  at  most  seasons  of  the 
year  as  to  render  a  fire  necessary  after  sunset.  In 
the  matter  of  expense,  this  route  is  as  economical  as 
the  average  of  land  and  sea  travel  in  any  direction. 
The  cost  of  living  in  Ceylon  is  quite  as  moderate  as 
in  Southern  Europe,  and  now  that  the  island  is  so 
generally  traversed  by  railways  and  excellent  govern- 
ment roads,  there  is  very  little  hardship  to  be  encoun- 
tered in  visiting  its  remotest  districts. 

M.  M.  B. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Introductory.  —  Coming  from  the  Eastward.  —  Interesting  Ocean 
Phenomena.  — Denizens  of  the  Sea.  —  Bird  Travelers.  —  Delu- 
sive Mirage.  —  A  Thrilling  Adventure.  —  Prompt  Seamanship. 

—  A  Struggle  for   Life.  —  Dust   of   the  Sea.  —  A  Dangerous 
Wreck.  — Night  Watches.  —  Sighting  the  Island  of  Ceylon.  — 
Adam's  Peak,    among  the   Clouds.  —  A   Beautiful  Shore.  — 
Steamers   and  Sailing  Ships.  —  Curious  Native  Boats.  —  Sin- 
ghalese Pedlers.  —  A  Catamaran.  —  Tempting  of  Providence. 

—  An  Author's  Position 1 

CHAPTER  II. 

A  Classic  Island.  —  Topographical  Position.  —  Maldive  Islands. 

—  Lands  rising  out  of  the  Sea.  —  Size  of  Ceylon.  —  Latitude 
and  Longitude.  —  A  Link  of  a  Powerful  Chain.  —  Important 
British  Station.  —  "Mountain  of  the  Holy  Foot. "  —  Remark- 
able Mountain  View.  —  Queer  Speculations.  —  Insect  Life  in 
the  Island. — Acknowledged  Gem  of  the  Orient.  —  Wild  Ele- 
phants. —  In  Olden  Times.  —  Far-Reaching   Historic   Connec- 
tions. —  Arboreal  and  Floral  Beauties.  —  Perennial  Vegetation. 

—  The  Feathered  Tribe 19 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Wearisome  Tropics.  —  Waterspouts.  —  Climatic  Conditions. 

—  Length  of  Days. —  A  Land  Rich  in  Prehistoric  Monuments. 

—  History    and    Fable.  —  Last    King    of    Ceylon.  —  Ancient 
Ruins.  —  Aged   Cave-Temples.  —  Gigantic  Stone    Statue    of 
Buddha.  —  French  Vandals  —  A  Native  Chronicle.  —  Once  the 
Seat  of  a  Great  Empire.  —  System  of  Irrigation.  —  Mysterious 
Disappearance   of  a  Nation.  —  Ruins  of  a  Vast  City.  —  De- 
parted Glory.  —  The  Brazen  Palace.  —  Asiatic  Extravagance. 

—  Ruined  Monument  .  ...    44 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Oriental  Dagobas.  —  Ancient  City  of  Pollonarua.  —  Laid  out  like 
our  Modern  Capitals.  —  Unexplored  Ruins.  —  Elaborate  Stone 
Carvings.  —  Colossal  Stone  Figure.  —  The  "Buried  Cities."  — 

"  The  Singhalese  not  a  Progressive  People.  —  Modern  History 
of  Ceylon.  —  Captured  by  the  English.  —  The  "Resplendent 
Island."  —  Commercial  Prosperity.  —  Increasing  Foreign  Pop- 
ulation.—  Under  English  Rule.  —  Native  Soldiers.  —  Christian 
Sects  and  Churches.  —  Roman  Catholic  Church.  —  Expulsion 
of  the  Jesuits 71 

CHAPTER  V. 

Food  of  the  People.  —  Rice  Cultivation.  —  Vast  Artificial  Lakes. 
—  The  Stone  Tanks  of  Aden.  —  Parched  Australia.  —  Coffee 
Culture.  —  Severe  Reverses  among  Planters.  —  Tea  Culture.  — 
Cinchona  Plantations.  —  Heavy  Exportation  of   Tea.  —  Cacao 
Culture.  —  A    Coffee    Plantation    described.  —  Domesticated 
^      Snakes.  —  The  Cinnamon-Tree.  —  Cinnamon  Gardens  a  Disap- 
pointment. —  Picturesque    Dwellings.  —  Forest    Lands.  —  The 
^^  Ceylon  Jungle.  —  Native  Cabinet  Woods.  —  Night  in  a  Tropi- 
cal Forest. —  Rhododendrons 89 

*  CHAPTER  VI. 

Arboreal  King  of  the  Forest.  —  The  Palm  Family.  —  Over-Gen- 
erous Nature  and  her  Liberal   Provisions.  —  Product  of   the 
Cocoanut-Tree.  —  The    Wide-Spreading    Banian. — Excellent 
Public   Roads.  —  Aquatic   Birds   and   Plants.  —  Native   Fruit 
Trees.  —  The   Mangosteen.  —  Spice-Bearing  Trees.  —  Treat- 
^     ment  of  Women.  —  Singhalese  Rural  Life.  —  Physical  Charac- 
.     ter  of    Tamil  Men.  —  Tree   Climbing.  —  Native   Children.  — 
Numerical   Relation  of    the   Sexes.  —  Caste  as  respected  in 
X       Ceylon.  —  Tattooing  the  Human  Body 112 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Experiences  between  Colombo  and  Point  de  Galle.  —  Dangers  of 
Encountering  Reptiles.  —  Marvelous  Ant  Houses.  —  Insect 
Architects.  —  Curious  Bird's  Nests.  —  Flamingoes  at  Rest.  — 
Variety  of  the  Crane  Family.  —  Wild  Pea-Fowls.  —  Buddha's 
Prohibition.  —  Peculiar  Wood-Notes.  —  Mingling  of  Fruit  and 
Timber  Trees.  —  Fatal  Parasitic  Vines.  —  Stillness  of  the 
Forest.  —  Superstitions  of  the  Natives.  —  Snake  Bites.  —Rail- 
way Facilities  131 


CONTENTS.  vii 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Colombo,  Capital  of  Ceylon. — Harbor  Facilities. — The  Break- 
water. —  Exposed  to  Epidemics.  —  Experiences  on  Landing.  — 
Hump-Backed   Cattle.  —  Grand   Oriental  Hotel.  —  Singhalese 
Waiters.  —  Galle  Face  Hotel.  —  An  Unusual  Scene.  —  Number 
of  Inhabitants.  —  Black  Town  the  Native  Quarters.  —  Domes- 
tic   Scenes.  —  Monkeys.  —  Evil    Odors.  —  Humble    Homes.  —    X 
The  Banana-Tree.  —  Native  Temples  and  Priestly  Customs.  — 
Vegetables  and  Fruits. —  Woman's  Instinct.  —  Street  Scenes  in    ^ 
the  Pettah.  —  Fish  Market 144 

•  CHAPTER  IX. 

The  English   Part  of  Colombo.  —  Army  Reserves.  —  Ceylon  an 
Independent   Colony.  —  "A   Paternal   Despotism."  —  Educa- 
tional   Facilities.  —  Buddhism   versus    Christianity.  —  Public 
Buildings.  —  The   Museum.  —  Domestic   Dwellings.  —  Suburb  > 
of  Colpetty.  —  The  Lake  of  Colombo.  —  A  Popular  Driveway. 

—  A  Sunset  Scene.  —  Excursion  to  the  Kalani  Temple.  —  The 
Jinrikisha.  —  Current  Diseases.  —  Native   Jugglers.  —  Hypno- 
tism. —  Houdin,  the  French  Magician,  astonishes  the  Natives. 

—  The  Thieving  Crows 166 

CHAPTER  X.    . 

Birds  on  the  Rampage.  —  Familiar  Nuisances.  —  Silver-Spoon 
Thieves.  —  Doctrine  of  Metempsychosis.  —  Various  National- 
ities forming  the  Population.  —  Common  Languages.  —  Tamils 
are  the  Wage-Earners.  —  The  Singhalese  Proper  are  Agricul- 
turists. —  Queer  Belief  in  Demons.  —  Propitiation !  —  The 
Veddahs.  —  Attacking  Wild  Elephants.  —  Serpent  Worship.  — 
Polyandry.  —  Native  Singhalese  Women.  —  Dress  of  Both  c 
Sexes.  —  Streets  of  Colombo  on  a  Gala  Day.  —  An  English 
Foiir-in-Hand.  —  Mount  Lavonia  ......  186 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Ancient  Capital  of  Kandy,  —  An  Artificial  Lake.  — The 
Great  River  of  Ceylon.  —  Site  of  the  Capital  of  the  Central 
Province.  —  On  the  Way  from  Colombo  to  Kandy.  —  The  Tiny 
Musk-Deer.  —  The  Wild  Boar.  —  Native  Cabins.  —  From  the  ' 
Railway  Car  Windows.  —  The  Lotus.  —  Destructive  White 
Ants  and  their  Enemies.  —  Wild  Animals.  —  The  Mother  of 
Twins.  —  A  Little  Waif.  —  A  Zigzag  Railway.  —  An  Expen- 
sive Road  to  build.  —  "  Sensation  Rock  "  with  an  Evil  History. 

—  Grand  Alpine  Scenery  .......  206 


viii  CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Historical  Kandy.  —  Importance  of  Good  Roads.  —  Native  Popu- 
lation. —  Temple  of  Buddha's  Tooth.  — The  Old  Palace.— 
Governor's  House.  —  Great  Resort  of  Pilgrims.  —  Interior  of 
the  Temple.  —  The  Humbug  of  Relics.  —  Priests  of  the  Yel- 
low Robe. —  A  Sacred  Bo-Tree.  —  Diabolical  Services  in  the 
Ancient  Temple.  —  Regular  Heathen  Powwow.  —  Singhalese 
Music.  —  Emulating  Midnight  Tomcats.  —  Chronic  Beggary.  — 
The  Old  Parisian  Woman  with  Wooden  Legs.  —  A  Buddhist 
Rock-Temple 225 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Ceylon  the  Mecca  of  Buddhism.  —  The  Drives  about  Kandy.  — 
Fruit  of  the  Cashew.  —  Domestic  Prison  of  Arabi  Pasha.  — 
"Egypt  for  the  Egyptians."  —  Hillside  Bungalows.  —  Kandy 
Hotels  at  a  Discount.  —  The  Famous  Botanical  Garden  of  Cey- 
lon. —  India-Rubber-Trees,  Bamboos,  and  Flying  Foxes.  — 
Dangerous  Reptiles  in  the  Garden.  —  The  Boa  Constrictor.  — 
Success  of  Peruvian-Bark  Raising.  —  Vicious  Land  Leeches.  — 
The  Burrowing  and  Tormenting  Tick.  —  Where  Sugar  comes 
from  in  Ceylon 241 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

Fifty  Miles  into  Central  Ceylon.  —  Gorgeous  Scenic  Effects. — 
Gampola.  —  The  Singhalese  Saratoga.  —  A  Grand  Waterfall. 

—  Haunts   of  the  Wild   Elephants.  —  Something  about  these 
Huge   Beasts.  —  European    Hunters    restricted.  —  An    Indian 
Experience.  —  Elephants  as  Farm  Laborers  in  Place  of  Oxen. 

—  Tame  Elephants  as  Decoys.  —  Elephant  Taming.  —  Highest 
Mountain  on  the  Island.  —  Pilgrims  who  ascend  Adam's  Peak. 

—  Nuera-Ellia  as  a  Sanitarium.  —  A  Hill  Garden      .         .         .258 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Port  of  Trincomalee.  —  A  Remarkable  Harbor.  —  How  to  get 
there.  —  Nelson's  Eulogium.  —  Curious  and  Beautiful  Shells. 

—  Pearl   Oysters.  —  Process   of    Pearl    Fishing.  —  What  are 
Pearls  and  which  are  most  valued  ?  —  Profit  to  Government. 

—  A  Remarkable  Pearl.  —  Tippo  Sahib  and  Cleopatra.  —  The 
Singhalese  not  Sailors.  —  Ancient  Ruins.  —  Hot  Springs  near 
Trincomalee.  —  "  Temple  of  a  Thousand  Columns.  "  —  Valu- 
able Supply  of  Ship  Timber.  —  Salt  Manufactures.  —  Tenacity 

of  Life  in  the  Shark  .  272 


CONTENTS.  ix 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Point  de   Galle.  —  An  Ancient  Port,  now  mostly  deserted.  — 
Dangerous  Harbor.  —  Environs  of  the  City  a  Tropical  Garden. 

—  Paradise   of   Ferns   and   Orchids.  —  Neptune's   Gardens.  — 
Tides  of  the  Ocean.  —  Severe  Penalties.  —  Floating  Islands  of 
Seaweed.  —  Fable,  like  History,  repeats  itself.  —  Chewing  the 
Betelnut.  —  An  Asiatic  Habit.  —  All  Nations  seek  Some  Stim- 
ulant. —  Soil  near  Galle.  —  Cinnamon    Stones.  —  Diamonds.  — 
Workers  in  Tortoise-SheU.  —  Millions  of   Fruitful  Palms.  — 
Sanitary  Conditions  of  Galle 292 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Dondra  Head.  — "The  City  of  the  Gods. "  —  A  Vast  Temple. 

—  A   Statue   of    Solid    Gold.  — A  Famous    Rock-Temple.— 
Buddhist   Monastery.  —  Caltura  and  its  Distilleries.  —  Edible 
Bird's   Nests.  —  Basket-Making. — The    Kaluganga.  —  Cinna- 
mon Gardens.  —  "  The  City  of  Gems."  —  A  Magnificent  Ruby. 

—  The   True  Cat's-Eye.  —  Vast  Riches  hidden  in  the  Moun- 
tains. —  Plumbago  Mining.  —  Iron  Ore.  —  Kaolin.  —  Gem  Cut- 
ting. —  Native  Swindlers.  —  Demoralizing  Effect  of  Gem  Dig- 
ging     307 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Circumnavigating  the  Island.  —  Batticaloa,  Capital  of  the  East- 
ern Province.  —  Rice  Culture.  —  Fish  Shooting.  —  Point  Pedro. 

—  Jaffna.  —  Northern   Province.  —  Oriental   Bazaars.  —  Milk 
ignored.  —  The  Clear  Sea  and  White,  Sandy  Bottom.  —  Ameri- 
can Missionaries.  —  A  Medical  Bureau.  —  Self -Respect  a  Lost 
Virtue.  —  Snake-Temples.  —  Ramisseram.  —  Adam's  Bridge. 

—  A  Huge  Hindu  Temple.  —  Island  of  Manaar.  —  Aripo.  — 
The  Port  of  Negombo.  —  Tamil  Coolies.  —  Homeward  Bound. 

—  A  Farewell  View 323 


THE   PEARL   OF   INDIA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Introductory.  —  Coming  from  the  Eastward.  —  Interesting  Ocean 
Phenomena.  — Denizens  of  the  Sea.  —  Bird  Travelers.  —  Delusive 
Mirage.  —  A  Thrilling  Adventure.  —  Prompt  Seamanship.  —  A 
Struggle  for  Life.  —  Dust  of  the  Sea. — A  Dangerous  Wreck. — 
Night  Watches.  —  Sighting  the  Island  of  Ceylon.  —  Adam's  Peak, 
among  the  Clouds.  —  A  Beautiful  Shore.  —  Steamers  and  Sailing 
Ships.  —  Curious  Native  Boats.  —  Singhalese  Pedlers.  —  A  Cata- 
maran. —  Tempting  of  Providence.  —  An  Author's  Position. 

AFTER  a  pleasant  sojourn  in  China  and  Japan, 
with  Ceylon  as  his  objective  point,  the  author  came 
westward  by  way  of  the  Malacca  Straits,  crossing  the 
Indian  Ocean  on  a  line  of  about  the  eighth  degree  of 
north  latitude.  It  is  a  lonely  expanse  of  water,  in 
traversing  which  plenty  of  time  was  found  for  medi- 
tation. The  equatorial  rains,  though  brief,  were  at 
times  so  profuse  during  the  voyage  as  to  suggest  the 
possibility  of  a  second  universal  flood,  and  also  the 
advantage  which  might  accrue  from  being  web-footed ; 
but  the  air  was  mostly  soft  and  balmy,  the  nights 
were  gloriously  serene  and  bright.  The  transparency 
of  the  atmosphere  magnified  to  dazzling  proportions 
the  constellations  which  looked  down  so  serenely 
upon  us,  while  the  moon  seemed  to  have  taken  a 


2  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

position  vastly  nearer  to  the  earth  than  is  its  wont  at 
the  north.  The  phosphorescent  waves  tossed  glowing 
gems,  like  fire-opals,  about  the  ship's  hull,  while  set- 
ting our  long  wake  ablaze  with  flashing  light,  and 
producing  a  Milky  Way  as  luminous  as  that  above 
in  the  blue  ether.  All  phosphorescent  matter  re- 
quires friction  to  infuse  it  with  light,  and  so  the 
thoroughly  impregnated  waters  were  churned  into 
liquid  fire  by  our  vigorous  and  swift-revolving  pro- 
peller. What  millions  upon  millions  of  animalcules, 
and  these  again  multiplied,  must  contribute  to  pro- 
duce this  aquatic  illumination.  During  the  day,  large 
turtles,  schools  of  dolphins,  flying-fish,  occasional 
water  snakes,  together  with  whole  shoals  of  jelly-fish, 
were  encountered  on  the  widespread  tropical  sea.  At 
times,  myriads  of  the  fairy-like  nautilus  floated  past 
in  gossamer  frames,  while  in  savage  contrast,  vora- 
cious man-eating  sharks  followed  the  ship  close  upon 
either  quarter,  in  eager  watchfulness  for  human  prey. 
How  terribly  significant  is  the  upright  dorsal  fin  of 
this  creature,  seen  just  above  the  surface  of  the  water, 
indicating  the  hideous,  slate-colored  body  which  glides 
swiftly  and  stealthily  below ! 

Hovering  over  and  about  the  tall  masts  upon 
untiring  pinions,  a  score  of  white-winged,  graceful 
marine  birds  persistently  kept  us  company  day  after 
day.  They  joined  the  ship  off  the  coast  of  Sumatra, 
as  we  left  the  entrance  to  the  Malacca  Straits,  intro- 
ducing themselves  at  first  with  noisy  vehemence  and 


BIRD  TRAVELERS.  3 

piercing  cries,  as  if  to  assert  their  presence  and  pur- 
pose, a  proceeding  which  was  not  again  repeated. 
What  became  of  these  handsome  feathered  creatures 
at  night  we  never  knew,  and  it  was  found  that  the 
oldest  seaman  was  equally  ignorant.  If  they  slept 
upon  the  waves,  they  must  have  overtaken  us  with 
arrowy  swiftness  at  the  break  of  day.  They  were 
undoubtedly  able  to  do  this,  as  they  outstripped  us  in 
speed  at  any  moment  when  they  chose  to  do  so,  sail- 
ing through  the  air  far  ahead  and  all  around  the 
rapid,  steady-going  ship.  However  early  one  came  on 
deck,  they  were  sure  to  be  in  sight,  glancing  hither 
and  thither  upon  the  invisible  air  currents  without 
any  apparent  exertion.  It  was  the  very  poetry  of 
motion.  We  came  finally  to  look  upon  these  tireless 
fellow  travelers  with  no  small  degree  of  interest,  and 
should  really  have  regretted  their  absence.  It  is 
always  a  pleasing  diversion  to  watch  them,  to  count 
and  see  that  their  full  number  is  still  present,  and 
to  delight  in  their  free  and  graceful  movements. 

During  the  period  of  their  presumed  nightly  rest 
upon  the  heaving  bosom  of  the  sea,  our  vessel  must 
necessarily  pass  over  a  distance  of  many  leagues,  far, 
far  beyond  the  power  of  human  sight.  How  marvel- 
ous, therefore,  must  be  the  instinct  which  guides 
them  unerringly  to  resume  our  company  with  the 
earliest  rays  of  the  morning  light.  When,  in  the 
arid  desert,  the  exhausted  camel  sinks  at  last  in  its 
tracks  to  die,  and  is  finally  left  by  the  rest  of  the 


4  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

caravan,  no  other  object  is  visible  in  the  widespread 
expanse,  even  down  to  the  very  verge  of  the  horizon. 
Scarcely  is  the  poor  creature  unloaded,  however,  and 
left  to  perish  upon  the  sand,  before  there  will  appear 
in  the  far-away  sky  a  cloud  of  vultures,  at  first  mere 
specks  in  the  blue  atmosphere,  swooping  with  light- 
ning speed  towards  the  dying  animal,  whose  bones 
they  immediately  strip  with  terrific  voraciousness. 
One  who  has  witnessed  this  scene  can  never  forget  it. 
The  vultures  strain  and  tear  at  the  carcass,  swallowing 
great  pieces  of  hide  and  flesh,  until  at  last,  when  they 
are  completely  gorged,  they  can  only  rise  a  few  feet 
from  the  earth,  to  sink  again  exhausted  upon  their 
feet.  Hours  must  transpire  before  they  can  again 
soar  any  distance  upon  the  wing,  after  their  glutton- 
ous repast. 

The  sea  in  this  region  of  the  Indian  Ocean  teems 
with  animal  life,  the  curiously  shaped  finny  tribe 
often  exhibiting  colors  as  gay  and  vivid  as  those  of 
the  birds  and  flowers  in  the  low  latitudes. 

Some  strange  and  puzzling  phenomena  of  nature 
were  occasionally  witnessed.  Now  and  again  the 
whole  ship's  company  were  deluded  by  a  mirage ;  we 
seemed  to  be  approaching  land,  though  it  was  never 
reached,  and  at  the  moment  when  we  should  fairly 
make  out  its  bearings,  it  faded  slowly  into  thin 
air.  So  realistic  were  these  appearances,  often  re- 
peated, that  some  passengers  were  curious  enough  to 
consult  the  captain's  sailing-charts  to  see  if  certain 


NIGHT  AT  SEA.  5 

islands  or  shoals  were  not  laid  down  in  or  near  the 
course  we  were  steering.  The  nights  were  the  most 
enjoyable,  so  full  of  a  delicious  sense  of  repose,  the 
stillness  broken  only  by  the  great  heart-beats  of  the 
huge  engine  which  formed  our  motive  power.  The 
soft  and  refulgent  atmosphere  invited  one  to  linger 
on  deck  rather  than  to  seek  the  close  confinement  of 
a  stateroom  below,  and  thus  many  hours  were  passed 
in  a  half-dreaming,  half-conscious  condition,  while 
reviewing  the  varied  experiences  of  the  past  few 
months  of  travel.  Tableaux  of  Japanese  life  and 
scenery,  bewitchingly  attractive  and  enjoyable  adven- 
tures in  tea-houses,  gay  excursions  in  jinrikishas, 
together  with  unique  temples  and  huge  statues  of 
Shinto  deities,  passed  in  endless  procession  before 
the  mind's  eye.  The  oddities  and  the  local  color  in 
Shanghai,  Hongkong,  and  Canton;  the  soothing 
motion  of  palanquins ;  the  sloping-eyed,  yellow  com- 
plexioned  and  pig-tailed  people  of  China;  a  devas- 
tating cyclone  encountered  in  the  Yellow  Sea,  and  the 
wondrous  sunset  which  followed  it ;  the  gyrating 
waterspout  which  was  seen  off  the  Gulf  of  Siam, 
a  not  infrequent  experience  where  so  many  active 
currents  of  wind  and  water  meet ;  the  many  living 
pictures  well-remembered  of  the  islands  of  the  Malay 
Archipelago  engraven  upon  the  brain  at  Singapore, 
Borneo,  Sumatra,  Penang,  and  Java,  the  latter  con- 
taining more  active  and  extinct  volcanoes  than  any 
other  known  region,  —  all  these  seemed  very  real, 
though  only  silently  rehearsed  in  dreamland. 

/^ 

fuFiVERSiTY] 

'.• 


6  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  straits  and  gaining  the 
broad  ocean,  a  brief  but  heavy  gale  of  wind  was  en- 
countered, which  created  for  some  hours  a  most  bois- 
terous sea.  On  the  morning  after  the  storm,  a  fore- 
mast hand  was  sent  over  the  starboard  bow  to  make 
fast  some  gearing  which  had  become  loosened  by 
the  gale.  Almost  immediately  afterward,  the  cry  of 
"  Man  overboard !  "  rang  fore  and  aft  the  ship.  A 
wide-awake  passenger  who  happened  to  be  standing 
near  the  taffrail  instantly  took  a  knife  from  his 
pocket,  and  cutting  loose  a  life-buoy  which  was  fas- 
tened to  the  starboard  quarter  ratline,  promptly  threw 
it  towards  the  man  in  the  water  as  he  floated  away 
from  the  ship.  The  sailor  saw  it,  and  being  a  good 
swimmer  struck  out  for  and  reached  it.  A  moment 
later,  it  was  seen  that  he  had  succeeded  in  thrusting 
his  head  and  arms  through  the  opening  of  the  sus- 
taining buoy.  In  the  mean  time,  the  captain  at  the 
sound  of  the  ominous  cry  sprang  up  the  ladder  lead- 
ing to  the  bridge,  and  took  personal  charge  of  the 
ship,  sending  the  first  officer,  whose  watch  it  hap- 
pened to  be,  to  superintend  the  lowering  of  a  quarter- 
boat  to  rescue  the  unfortunate  seaman  if  possible. 
There  was  no  flurry,  no  confusion  among  the  crew. 
Not  a  word  was  spoken  except  by  the  officers.  The 
silence  of  discipline  was  supreme.  A  sailor  was 
promptly  ordered  into  the  shrouds  to  keep  run  of  the 
man,  who  was  soon  out  of  sight  from  the  deck,  so 
rough  was  the  intervening  water.  The  quarter-boat 


PROMPT  SEAMANSHIP.  1 

was  lowered  from  the  davits,  and  was  afloat  in  less 
than  three  minutes  after  the  order  was  issued,  with 
six  stout  seamen  at  the  oars  and  the  first  officer  in  the 
stern.  What  a  mere  cockle-shell  it  appeared  in  that 
angry  sea,  one  moment  low  down  in  the  trough,  and 
the  next  upon  the  summit  of  the  waves  towering 
above  the  deck  of  the  ship.  Nothing  of  less  impor- 
tance than  the  saving  of  a  human  life  would  have 
warranted  the  launching  of  a  boat  in  such  a  wild  con- 
dition of  the  waves.  The  sailor  who  had  been  sent 
into  the  shrouds  was  ordered  to  point  constantly 
toward  the  man  in  the  water,  so  that  those  in  the  boat 
might  know  in  what  direction  to  steer. 

"  Give  way,  men,  give  way  with  a  will !  "  said  the 
officer,  and  the  oars  bent  to  the  muscular  power  of 
the  crew. 

The  ship  had  been  under  a  twelve-knot  headway 
when  the  accident  happened,  and  the  man,  supported 
by  the  buoy,  was  already  a  mile  or  more  to  leeward. 
Then  occurred  a  singular  and  inopportune  circum- 
stance, which  was  for  a  moment  the  cause  of  danger- 
ous delay.  The  sturdy  seaman  who  pulled  the  stroke 
oar  of  the  boat  just  launched  was  seen  to  falter, 
cease  rowing,  and  suddenly  to  bend  forward,  as 
though  he  were  paralyzed.  The  excitement  of  the 
moment  completely  unmanned  him.  His  heart  for 
an  instant  ceased  to  beat.  The  first  officer  compre- 
hended the  situation  instantly.  Seamen  are  trained 
to  promptness;  so  off  came  his  coat,  the  tiller  was 


8  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

thrust  into  the  half-fainting  sailor's  hand,  accompanied 
by  a  brief  command,  —  he  could  steer  if  he  could  not 
pull,  —  and  the  officer  bent  his  own  stout  arms  and 
body  to  the  stroke  oar.  There  was  no  time  for  words, 
—  the  stake  was  a  human  life.  One  or  two  of  the 
anxious  passengers  whispered  the  word  "  Shark ! 
Where  were  those  tiger-fish  at  this  critical  moment  ? 
The  boat  made  slow  but  steady  headway  towards  the 
distant  seaman,  while  he  at  the  tiller  steered  as  was 
indicated  by  the  man  stationed  high  up  in  the  ship's 
shrouds.  Upon  reaching  the  bridge  and  relieving  the 
officer  on  duty,  the  captain,  while  issuing  his  other 
orders,  had  coolly  rung  down  to  the  engine-room,  — 
44  Stand  by  !  Slow  down !  Stop  her  !  Back  her  !  " 
with  a  brief  interval  between  each  signal.  Then, 
stepping  to  the  starboard  end  of  the  bridge,  he  waved 
his  handkerchief  to  the  fast  disappearing  seaman  to 
let  him  know  that  his  commander  was  at  his  post 
and  would  do  his  best  to  save  him.  The  big  hull,  in 
response  to  her  reversed  propeller,  after  a  few  mo- 
ments of  tremulous  indecision,  began  to  move  stern 
foremost.  Several  passengers  ascended  the  rigging 
to  keep  the  boat  in  view,  for  it  too  was  lost  to  sight 
from  the  deck.  It  struggled  stoutly  with  the  angry 
sea,  which  seemed  loath  to  give  up  its  victim.  Those 
in  the  shrouds  gazed  eagerly,  and  almost  held  their 
breath.  The  steamer  drew  very  slowly  nearer  to  the 
man  in  the  water,  as  well  as  to  the  boat.  By  and  by, 
after  a  period  of  terrible  suspense,  the  man  in  the 


THE  RESCUE.  9 

water  was  seen  to  be  seized  by  his  messmates  and 
drawn  into  the  boat,  which  was  then  turned  toward 
the  ship.  It  was  a  long  and  severe  struggle  still,  to 
contend  successfully  with  the  high  sea  which  was  run- 
ning, but  the  boat  was  finally  brought  on  the  lee  side 
of  the  vessel,  the  stout  ropes  were  made  fast  to  the 
ring-bolts  in  its  stem  and  stern,  and  with  all  on  board 
it  was  quickly  run  up  to  the  davits.  The  rescued 
man  and  his  brave  deliverers  were  received  on  board 
with  three  hearty  cheers,  and  the  big  ship,  once  more 
under  a  full  head  of  steam,  took  her  course  westward. 

Prompt  action,  cool  courage,  and  good  seamanship 
saved  the  life  of  the  imperiled  sailor.  There  was 
more  than  one  grateful  heart  on  board  which  was  re- 
lieved by  a  silent  prayer  of  thanksgiving. 

Some  of  our  lady  passengers  complained  of  being 
seriously  annoyed  by  sea-dust,  which  at  first  thought 
seems  ridicidous.  Dust  at  sea !  But  there  is  never- 
theless an  impalpable  collection  of  salt  matter  or  dry 
spray,  so  to  speak,  which  rises  at  times  from  the 
ocean,  especially  in  these  latitudes,  causing  the  eyes 
to  smart,  and  giving  a  distinct  saline  flavor  to  the 
lips,  while  it  is  so  penetrating  as  to  thoroughly  im- 
pregnate one's  clothing.  When  the  sun  shines,  this 
deposit  seems  to  be  less  abundant,  but  like  the  dew, 
it  affects  those  most  who  are  exposed  to  the  night  air. 
The  "  dust "  of  the  sea  is  very  real,  as  any  experi- 
enced sailor  will  testify. 

Our  voyage  was  not  without   several  eventful  oc- 


10  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

currences.  On  the  second  day  after  the  storm,  the 
lookout  reported  some  object  ahead  lying  almost  di- 
rectly in  our  course.  At  first  it  looked  like  a  huge 
whale,  the  dark  body  well  out  of  water,  or  like  the 
top  of  a  sunken  rock ;  but  as  we  rapidly  approached, 
it  was  made  out  to  be  the  hull  of  a  large  ship,  keel 
uppermost.  It  might  have  proved  to  be  a  fatal  en- 
counter, had  we  run  upon  it  in  the  night.  A  sharp 
lookout,  together  with  the  sun  shining  upon  the  ob- 
ject, revealed  it,  but  being  so  near  the  color  of  the 
sea  and  having  no  top-hamper  in  sight,  it  could  not 
have  been  discovered  at  any  considerable  distance  at 
night.  Probably  half-sunken  vessels  have  been  ere 
this  the  cause  of  other  and  equally  fatal  wrecks. 
The  size  and  character  of  the  one  we  had  encountered 
could  only  be  surmised.  The  name,  even,  could  not 
be  made  out.  It  appeared  to  be  a  sailing  craft  of 
eighteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  tons,  which  had 
"turned  turtle,"  as  sailors  term  it,  perhaps  in  the 
storm  which  we  had  so  lately  encountered.  The  air 
retained  in  the  hull  when  it  capsized  evidently  served 
to  keep  it  afloat.  Our  steamer  was  stopped  within 
a  safe  distance,  and  a  boat  was  lowered  and  sent  in 
charge  of  an  officer  to  examine  the  hull,  with  orders 
to  cut  a  hole  in  the  bottom.  This  would  naturally 
cause  the  very  dangerous  obstruction  to  sink.  It  was 
slow  work  to  cut  an  opening  in  the  stout  bottom  with 
an  axe,  but  when  it  was  finally  accomplished  and  an 
aperture  two  feet  square  was  made,  the  downward 


A   DANGEROUS    WRECK.  11 

pressure  of  the  huge  structure  forced  out  the  air  and 
water  with  tremendous  power,  like  a  monster  whale 
spouting.  It  was  now  plain  enough  what  had  kept 
the  hull  afloat,  for  as  this  confined  air  rushed  out, 
producing  a  noise  like  escaping  steam,  the  dark  mass 
began  slowly  to  settle,  so  that  before  our  boat  had 
returned  and  was  fairly  secured  at  the  davits,  it  had 
sunk  below  the  surface  of  the  waves,  which  washed 
over  it  for  a  few  moments,  as  though  it  were  a 
coral  reef.  Then  it  suddenly  disappeared  altogether. 
These  treacherous  seas  have  been  well  named  the 
graveyard  of  commerce.  The  mystery  of  the  wreck, 
so  far  as  we  know,  was  never  solved.  Doubtless  all 
hands  perished  together  when  the  vessel  capsized. 

Of  course,  such  an  experience  sets  one  to  speculat- 
ing upon  the  possibilities  which  it  involves.  Some- 
tunes  a  terrible  sense  of  loneliness  comes  over  the 
voyager  upon  the  ocean,  notwithstanding  the  ship 
and  its  immediate  surroundings,  when  he  realizes  the 
immense  space  covered  by  the  wilderness  of  the  sea. 
It  is  not  so  much  fear  as  it  is  awe  inspiring. 

The  passengers  watched  the  captain  with  great 
interest  daily,  as  he  went  through  the  formula  of 
recording  the  ship's  course.  Any  incident  at  sea  is 
eagerly  seized  upon  to  vary  the  monotony.  As  is 
well  known,  the  commander  of  a  ship  corrects  his 
time  by  the  observation  of  the  sun  at  meridian,  thus 
specifying  his  position  upon  the  waste  of  waters,  and 
enabling  him  to  mark  upon  the  chart  his  exact  lati- 


12  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

tude  and  longitude.  The  process  is  a  mystery  to  the 
average  traveler,  but  its  simplicity  will  delight  him,  if 
he  once  takes  the  trouble  to  understand  it. 

It  was  a  bright  December  morning  when  we  made 
the  island  of  Ceylon.  Not  a  cloud  was  seen  breaking 
the  intense  atmospheric  blue  that  overhung  the  vast 
expanse.  Many  of  the  passengers,  on  retiring  the 
night  previous,  left  word  with  the  steward  to  be 
called  at  an  early  hour  in  anticipation  of  our  sighting 
the  land.  The  sea  had  been  quite  calm  for  the  last 
two  days,  and  the  nights  sublime.  A  few  of  us 
found  it  sufficiently  restful  to  remain  on  deck  amid 
such  surroundings,  gazing  idly  among  the  clustering 
stars,  so  far  away,  and  watching  for  the  first  view  of 
the  shore.  Thus  the  night  passed,  and  the  big  red 
globe  of  the  sun  came  up  out  of  the  sea  to  the  east- 
ward, as  though  it  had  been  sleeping  submerged  there 
since  it  bade  us  good-night  in  the  west  at  twilight. 
Adam's  Peak,  in  the  shape  of  a  perfect  cone,  had 
been  in  view  from  the  deck  since  the  break  of  day, 
half  lost  in  the  far-away  sky.  In  clear  weather,  this 
famous  elevation  can  be  seen  sixty  miles  off  the  shore 
of  the  island.  The  height  of  the  mountain,  and  its 
looming  form,  at  first  produces  the  effect  of  a  moun- 
tain rising  abruptly  from  out  of  the  perfect  level  of 
the  waves,  but  we  were  now  rapidly  approaching  the 
land,  and  just  as  the  steward's  bell  summoned  us  to 
breakfast,  the  lighthouse  on  the  end  of  the  break- 
water of  Colombo  came  dimly  into  view.  The  first 


SIGHTING   COLOMBO.  13 

meal  of  the  day,  usually  partaken  of  at  sea  with  such 
hearty  zest,  was  neglected  by  most  of  the  passengers 
that  morning.  A  welcome  and  absorbing  sight  was 
before  us.  We  had  last  been  on  land  at  Penang, 
which  was  now  left  thirteen  hundred  miles  astern. 
All  were  weary  of  the  sea,  and  in  a  favorable  mood 
to  fully  enjoy  the  gentle  land  breeze  which  came  to 
us  laden  with  the  fragrance  of  flowers  distilled  from 
a  wilderness  of  bloom.  Tropical  luxuriance  and  lan- 
guor reigned  supreme.  What  a  summer  world  it 
was,  beautiful  beyond  expression  !  The  sunshine  had 
not  yet  asserted  its  oppressive  power,  and  the  island 
was  seen  at  its  best.  An  artistic  eye  could  not  but 
delight  in  the  lavish  display  of  well-defined  color 
which  was  presented  in  the  azure  sky,  the  deep  green 
of  the  vegetation,  the  pale  blue  of  the  shoal  water,  and 
the  snow-white  feathery  spray  combing  over  the  stout 
granite  coping  of  the  breakwater.  As  we  came 
nearer  to  the  influence  of  the  shore,  the  air  was  tinc- 
tured with  rank  odors,  and  the  water  was  heavy  with 
yellow  seaweed,  while  the  hoarse  murmurs  of  the 
contentious  waves  sounded  their  mournful  anthem. 
No  matter  how  calm  the  outer  sea  may  be,  the  large 
green  rollers  of  the  ocean  break  with  great  force 
when  they  meet  with  any  abrupt  impediment  on  the 
shore.  One  does  not  readily  forget  such  an  impres- 
sive moment.  It  remains  a  joy  forever. 

It  is  curious  how  sensitive  the  judgment  is  to  exter- 
nal influences.     Nothing  is  more  likely  to  produce  a 


14  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

fixed  and  unfavorable  impression  of  a  new  place  than 
to  approach  it  beneath  a  cheerless,  cloud-darkened  sky, 
while  bored  by  some  personal  annoyance.  On  the 
contrary,  if  one  is  introduced  to  a  fresh  locality  under 
cheerful  auspices,  while  Nature  herself  is  in  a  happy 
mood,  he  unconsciously  reflects  a  similar  spirit,  and 
is  heartily  prepossessed  in  its  favor.  It  was  only 
necessary  to  observe  one's  companions  to  see  this 
fully  illustrated.  There  were  a  few  disaffected  ones 
to  whom  the  world  seemed  all  awry,  but  the  majority 
felt  the  inspiration  and  joyousness  of  the  scene. 

It  was  now  clear  enough  that  Adam's  Peak 
("Mount  of  the  Holy  Foot"),  which  had  seemed  a 
short  time  since  to  rise  abruptly  from  the  very  bottom 
of  the  sea,  was  really  situated  far  inland,  dominating 
a  whole  family  of  lesser  elevations,  and  having  many 
miles  of  low,  thick-wooded  country  lying  between  it 
and  the  ocean.  As  we  rounded  the  lighthouse,  half 
a  dozen  European  steamships  came  into  view,  riding 
at  their  moorings,  making  a  brief  call  here  on  their 
way  east  or  west,  together  with  a  considerable  fleet 
of  small  coasting  crafts,  and  a  long  line  of  idle  cata- 
marans, drawn  up  upon  the  shelving  beach.  Besides 
these,  there  were  a  couple  of  full-rigged  European 
sailing  ships,  presenting  a  strong  contrast  to  the 
mammoth  steamers  with  their  invisible  motive  power. 
One  of  the  ships  was  getting  under  weigh,  bound  for 
Australia.  A  number  of  her  busy  crew  were  aloft, 
engaged  in  setting  sail  after  sail,  and  covering  the 


QUEER  NATIVE  BOATS.  15 

ample  yards  with  canvas  wings,  while  the  capstan 
bars  were  manned  by  others  getting  up  the  anchor, 
their  hearty  and  melodious  nautical  refrain  coming 
clearly  to  our  ears  across  the  intervening  waters. 

No  sooner  had  our  ship  come  to  anchor  than  it  was 
surrounded  by  a  score  and  more  of  curious  native 
boats,  which  are  called  on  this  coast  catamarans  (kat- 
ter  maran,  "tied  tree").  The  true  catamaran  is  to 
be  seen  all  along  the  east  coast  of  India,  consisting 
of  three  or  four  trunks  of  trees  bound  together  with 
thongs.  These  contrivances  form  the  rude  floats 
which  are  used  by  the  Coromandel  fishermen,  and 
hence  the  name.  A  few  of  the  boatmen  who  were 
permitted  to  come  on  board  vociferously  importuned 
the  new-comers  for  a  job,  or  pressed  great  bargains 
upon  us  in  the  shape  of  fresh  fruit,  Brummagem 
stones,  curiously  ornamented  boxes  of  shells,  and  toy 
carvings  in  ivory  and  ebony,  the  latter  mostly  repre- 
senting elephants  and  Chinese  idols.  Altogether  there 
was  a  perfect  babel  of  tongues  adding  to  the  confusion 
incident  upon  the  landing  of  passengers  and  baggage. 
There  was  much  handshaking,  while  many  hasty  but 
hearty  farewells  were  spoken,  for  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  good  ship,  after  leaving  a  few  of  the 
cabin  passengers  safely  on  shore  and  taking  on  board 
a  supply  of  coals,  would  continue  her  voyage  toward 
far-away  England. 

The  queerly  constructed  boats  to  which  we  have 
referred  consist  of  a  rudely  dug-out  tree  trunk,  fifteen 


16  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

or  twenty  feet  long,  having  planks  of  wood  fastened 
to  the  sides  lengthwise,  to  form  gunwales  and  afford 
some  protection  from  the  water.  No  nails  are  used 
in  their  construction,  the  woodwork  being  securely 
lashed  —  we  might  say  sewed  —  together  with  Cey- 
lon cordage,  made  from  the  fibrous  bark  of  the  palm. 
An  outrigger,  consisting  of  a  solid  log  of  wood,  is 
fastened  alongside  six  or  eight  feet  away,  by  means 
of  two  arched  poles  of  stout,  well-seasoned  bamboo. 
The  outrigger,  which  is  about  half  the  length  of  the 
boat,  prevents  the  possibility  of  overturning  it,  but 
without  this  attachment  so  narrow  a  craft  —  less 
than  twenty-four  inches  in  width  —  would  not  remain 
in  an  upright  position,  if  occupied,  even  in  a  perfectly 
calm  sea.  The  outrigger  is  always  kept  to  windward, 
and  as  these  canoes  have  both  ends  constructed  alike, 
they  sail  equally  well  either  way.  The  mast  and 
single  sail,  being  portable,  are  easily  shifted  from  one 
end  to  the  other,  or  adjusted  to  suit.  The  similarity 
of  these  rude  boats  to  those  one  sees  throughout  the 
Eastern  Archipelago  shows  us  whence  the  idea 
was  probably  borrowed.  Some  of  the  larger  canoes 
are  over  forty  feet  in  length,  but  none  are  wide 
enough  for  two  persons  to  sit  abreast  in  them. 

In  these  apparently  frail  floats  the  natives  go 
fearlessly  twenty  miles  to  sea  in  almost  any  weather 
short  of  a  gale,  to  catch  deep-water  fish,  and  it  is  a 
very  rare  occurrence  to  hear  of  any  serious  mishap 
befalh'ng  a  catamaran,  or  its  hardy  navigators.  A 


FEATHERED   TRAVELERS.  17 

European,  upon  finding  himself  in  one  of  these 
"  floating  scarecrows,"  according  to  the  remark  of  a 
fellow  passenger  after  reaching  the  shore,  "  feels  as  if 
he  were  recklessly  tempting  Providence ;  and  though 
he  may  not  be  drowned,  still  he  deserves  to  be." 
They  are  wretchedly  uncomfortable,  these  awkward 
boats,  for  one  not  accustomed  to  them,  but  experience 
demonstrates  that  they  are  quite  safe.  As  to  the 
natives,  they  tumble  recklessly  about  in  a  catamaran, 
holding  on  like  monkeys,  both  with  hands  and  feet. 

Some  of  the  passengers  were  observant  enough  to 
watch  the  handsome  birds  which  followed  us  a  thou- 
sand miles  and  more  across  the  sea,  even  into  the 
harbor  of  Colombo.  There  were  others  of  the  same 
species  flying  about  near  the  shore,  but  we  fancied  it 
possible  to  select  our  special  fellow  travelers,  as  they 
still  kept  near  to  the  ship's  masts,  though  she  was  now 
at  anchor.  Food  was  thrown  to  them  from  the  cook's 
galley,  and  that  important  functionary  declared  that 
when  the  ship  resumed  her  voyage,  on  the  following 
day,  the  flock  of  gulls  would  follow  it  as  closely  as 
heretofore,  even  through  the  Suez  Canal  and  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  until  the  far-away  English  coast 
was  reached. 

Thus  much  we  have  said  by  way  of  introduction, 
and  having  now  landed  on  this  "  utmost  Indian  isle," 
let  us  endeavor  to  intelligently  depict  its  unique  char- 
acteristics, together  with  its  past  and  present  story, 
for  the  entertainment  and  information  of  the  patient 
reader. 


18  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

The  author  who  sits  down  to  write  upon  a  given 
subject  is  generally  so  full  of  his  theme  that  he  must 
constantly  put  on  the  brakes,  as  it  were,  to  curb  his 
fancy.  He  is  never  thanked  for  what  he  omits  from 
his  pages,  though  there  is  so  much  which  he  might 
but  does  not  express,  lest  his  readers  should  feel  bored 
by  a  detailed  account  of  that  which,  with  the  added 
charm  of  time  and  place,  may  have  had  unwonted 
interest  for  himself.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  words 
rarely  convey  the  real  spirit  of  what  most  fascinates 
the  eye,  and  whatever  they  do  not  help  the  reader  to 
see,  like  glass,  they  darken. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A  Classic  Island.  —  Topographical  Position.  —  Maldive  Islands.  — 
Lands  rising  out  of  the  Sea.  —  Size  of  Ceylon.  —  Latitude  and 
Longitude.  —  A  Link  of  a  Powerful  Chain.  —  Important  British 
Station.  —  " Mountain  of  the  Holy  Foot."  —  Remarkable  Mountain 
View.  —  Queer  Speculations.  —  Insect  Life  in  the  Island.  —  Ac- 
knowledged Gem  of  the  Orient.  —  Wild  Elephants.  —  In  Olden 
Times.  —  Far-Reaching  Historic  Connections.  —  Arboreal  and  Floral 
Beauties.  —  Perennial  Vegetation.  —  The  Feathered  Tribe. 

CEYLON,  the  Lanka  Dwipe,  "resplendent  island," 
of  the  Hindus,  the  fabled  isle  of  the  Arabian  Nights, 
and  appropriately  called  the  "Pearl  of  India"  by 
the  English,  who  are  its  present  masters,  is  separated 
from  the  southern  extremity  of  the  continent  by  the 
Gulf  of  Manaar.  Were  it  not  that  a  shallow  water- 
course of  about  fifty  miles  in  width  intervenes,  the 
island  would  be  a  peninsula.  As  it  is,  a  barrier  to 
navigation  known  as  Adam's  Bridge,  consisting  of 
several  ledges  of  parallel  rocks,  nearly  forms  a  con- 
nection with  the  mainland.  Aided  by  coral  growth 
and  the  sand  deposit  of  the  ceaseless  current  setting 
into  the  Strait  of  Manaar  from  the  long  reach  of  the 
Coromandel  coast,  this  may  in  the  course  of  time  be 
consummated.  The  tendency  is  certainly  in  that  di- 
rection, notwithstanding  a  system  of  dredging  which 
has  been  adopted  by  the  English  government,  enabling 
vessels  which  do  not  draw  over  ten  feet  of  water  to 


20  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

pass  through  the  strait,  and  thus  avoid  the  necessity 
of  doubling  the  island  at  its  southern  extremity. 
Ceylon,  —  the  Serendib  of  the  Arabs,  —  is  the  gem 
of  the  Indian  Ocean,  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 
which  fully  sustains  the  delightful  promise  it  suggests 
to  the  stranger  who  beholds  it  for  the  first  time  as  he 
approaches  the  low-lying,  palm-lined  shore.  Indeed, 
it  might  appropriately  be  called  the  Isle  of  Palms,  so 
interminable  is  the  array  of  cocoanut-trees  which 
fringe  the  beach. 

Judging  solely  from  its  present  appearance  and  its 
geographical  position,  it  would  seem  to  have  been  a 
portion  of  the  mainland  at  some  former  period, 
though  there  are  many  able  writers  who  do  not  accept 
this  idea,  reminding  us  that  animals,  birds,  insects, 
and  reptiles  which  are  quite  unknown  on  the  continent 
of  India  exist  in  this  island.  There  are  no  hyenas, 
tigers,  wolves,  or  foxes  here,  though  there  are  plenty 
of  these  creatures  just  across  the  Strait  of  Manaar. 
As  an  argument  this  is  not  of  so  much  importance, 
however,  as  might  at  first  appear,  since  there  are  so 
many  well-known  instances  of  a  like  character.  The 
dissimilitude  of  Sumatra  and  Java,  separated  by  only 
a  narrow  channel,  occurs  to  us,  as  well  as  that  of 
Madagascar,  but  narrowly  divided  from  the  neighbor- 
ing continent.  So  able  a  writer  on  physical  geo- 
graphy as  Sir  J.  E.  Tennent  believes  that  Ceylon  is 
not  a  dismembered  portion  of  India,  but  a  distinct 
formation,  perhaps  part  of  a  continent  which  has  long 


TRIBUTARY  ISLANDS.  21 

since  disappeared.  In  this  suggestive  opinion  Pro- 
fessor Owen  also  agrees  with  him. 

The  Maldive  Islands,  situated  five  hundred  miles 
west  of  Ceylon,  are  a  group  of  seventeen  coral  islets 
containing  a  vast  number  of  cocoanut  palms,  and  are 
rich  in  varied  tropical  vegetation.  They  have  a  popu- 
lation of  thirty  thousand  Mohammedans,  ruled  by 
an  hereditary  sultan,  who  pays  yearly  tribute  to  the 
present  government  of  Ceylon  in  recognition  of  his 
dependency. 

Legend  informs  us  that  two  thousand  years  and 
more  before  Christ,  multitudes  of  isles  were  attached 
to  the  kingdom  of  Lanka  (Ceylon),  which  were  sud- 
denly overwhelmed  by  the  sea.  At  the  time  of  the 
great  catastrophe,  it  is  represented  that  the  splendid 
capital  city  of  Sri-Lanka-Pura,  which  stood  to  the 
westward  of  any  part  of  the  present  island,  was  en- 
gulfed, and  disappeared  forever.  The  Portuguese,  on 
their  arrival  in  Ceylon  in  the  sixteenth  century,  found 
the  natives  fully  believing  in  the  traditions  of  its 
former  extent,  and  its  partial  submersion.  This  is 
duly  recorded  by  the  Portuguese  writers  of  that  pe- 
riod. The  substance  of  this  legend  is  also  to  be  found 
in  the  Mahawanso,  or  native  chronicles  of  the  island. 

So  far  as  the  flora  and  fauna  of  Ceylon  are  con- 
cerned, it  resembles  the  islands  of  the  Malay  group 
lying  far  to  the  eastward,  much  more  than  it  does  the 
land  which  is  situated  so  near  to  it  at  the  north. 
Geologists  tell  us  that  the  island  has  for  ages  past 


22  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

been  slowly  rising  from  the  ocean  level,  and  we  know 
that  well-preserved  marine  shells  are  found  in  masses 
at  a  considerable  elevation,  ten  miles  inland,  both  in 
the  north  and  the  south  of  Ceylon,  and  especially  in 
the  foot-hills  of  the  central  mountain,  or  Kandian 
range,  as  it  is  called,  near  Ratnapura.  When  we 
pause  to  consider  for  a  moment  the  possible  age  of 
these  marine  deposits,  preconceived  and  popular  ideas 
of  the  time  which  has  passed  since  the  creation  of  the 
world  are  utterly  nullified.  That  the  process  of  ris- 
ing above  sea  level  has  been  progressing  for  ages 
is  undoubtedly  true,  as  in  the  instance  of  Norway  and 
Sweden,  where  careful  measurements  have  been  re- 
corded, from  time  to  time,  during  a  period  of  three 
hundred  years,  clearly  demonstrating  that  the  land  of 
those  countries  is  steadily  rising,  while  the  adjacent 
sea  subsides.  In  some  other  instances  the  process  is 
directly  reversed,  the  land  obviously,  though  slowly, 
sinking,  and  the  ocean  rising.  This  is  a  well-known 
operation,  not  confined  to  any  one  portion  of  the 
globe.  At  the  ancient  town  of  Pozzuoli,  on  the  shore 
of  the  Bay  of  Naples,  there  is  a  solid  marble  pave- 
ment once  belonging  to  a  pagan  temple,  built  between 
two  and  three  thousand  years  ago.  The  temple  was 
doubtless  originally  founded  on  the  dry  land,  but 
this  indestructible  floor  is  between  nine  and  ten  feet 
below  the  level  of  the  sea  at  this  writing. 

Ceylon  is  peculiar  in  its  shape,  resembling  a  cone, 
the  smaller  end  nearest  to  the  continent  which  lies  so 


AREA  OF  CEYLON.  23 

close  to  it.  This  northern  portion  of  the  island  is  a 
flat,  narrow  peninsula  with  a  sandy  soil,  but  which 
by  proper  management  is  made  to  yield  certain  crops 
fairly  well.  The  western  and  southern  coasts  are  low 
and  densely  wooded,  having  many  small  bays  and  pic- 
turesque indentations,  while  the  eastern  side  is  charac- 
terized by  a  bold  and  precipitous  shore,  quite  inaccessi- 
ble from  the  sea,  yet  affording  one  or  two  excellent 
harbors  and  several  indifferent  ones.  The  important 
and  much-praised  port  of  Trincomalee  is  on  this  side 
of  the  island,  where  several  open  roadsteads  are  com- 
mercially available  for  coasting  vessels,  so  built,  like 
most  oriental  water-craft,  that  they  can  be  drawn 
up  on  the  beach  in  rough  weather.  The  coast  is 
blockaded  on  the  northwest  by  numberless  rocks, 
shoals,  and  sandbanks,  impeding  navigation,  though 
the  island  can  be  circumnavigated,  as  already  indi- 
cated, by  means  of  the  Paumben  Pass,  between 
Ramisseram  and  the  continent.  The  north  and  north- 
west coasts  are  especially  low  and  flat,  undoubtedly 
formed  by  ages  of  sand  deposits  brought  down  from 
the  north  by  the  ceaseless  currents  and  lodged  upon 
coral  formations  as  a  foundation.  In  area,  Ceylon  is 
more  than  three  times  the  size  of  Massachusetts,  con- 
taining twenty-five  thousand  square  miles.  The 
circuit  of  the  island  by  water  is  calculated  to  be 
about  seven  hundred  miles.  In  Pliny's  time  he  made 
the  circumference  four  times  that  distance.  The 
latest  statistics  give  it  a  population  of  three  millions, 


24  THE  PEARL  OF  INDIA. 

which  is  a  sparse  occupancy  for  so  extensive  a  terri- 
tory, and  one  whose  natural  resources  are  sufficient 
for  the  support  of  that  number  of  people  many  times 
multiplied.  Taken  as  a  whole,  the  island  is  perhaps 
the  most  thinly  inhabited  spot  in  the  Orient,  though 
it  is  the  largest  and  most  important  of  what  are 
known  as  the  crown  colonies  of  the  British  Empire. 
Its  number  of  people  is  annually  011  the  increase,  as 
shown  by  the  English  Colonial  Blue  Book,  —  an  in- 
disputable evidence  of  material  prosperity.  The  ex- 
tensive ruins  of  ancient  cities  existing  in  the  interior 
show  that  there  must  have  been  in  the  past  at  least 
thrice  the  present  number  of  people  upon  the  island, 
while  some  authorities  place  the  possible  aggregate 
much  higher  than  we  have  named,  basing  their  cal- 
culation upon  the  extraordinary  size  and  number 
of  the  "buried  cities,"  one  of  which  is  reputed  to 
have  contained  three  million  inhabitants,  and  over 
four  hundred  thousand  organized  fighting  men,  whose 
weapons  were  bows,  arrows,  and  spears. 

For  the  sake  of  completeness,  it  may  be  mentioned 
that  the  geographical  situation  of  Ceylon  is  between 
the  sixth  and  tenth  degrees  of  north  latitude,  Point 
de  Galle,  in  the  extreme  south,  being  six  degrees  from 
the  equator,  and  Point  Pedro,  in  the  farthest  north, 
a  trifle  less  than  ten.  Dondra  Head  is  a  few  miles 
farther  southward,  and  actually  forms  the  extreme 
point  of  the  island  in  that  direction,  but  Point  de 
Galle,  so  much  better  known,  is  generally  named  to 


GEOGRAPHICAL  SITUATION.  25 

represent  the  position.  In  the  olden  time,  the  former 
was  a  more  popular  resort  than  the  latter,  a  fact 
which  some  grand  ruins  clearly  establish ;  indeed, 
Dondra  was  the  site  of  the  Singhalese  capital  during 
a  part  of  the  seventh  century.  A  substantial  and 
costly  lighthouse  has  lately  been  erected  here  by  the 
English  government. 

By  turning  for  a  moment  to  any  good  modern  map, 
the  reader  will  greatly  f  acilitate  the  ready  understand- 
ing of  these  pages. 

Lying  thus  just  off  the  southern  point  of  India,  at 
the  entrance  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  Ceylon  stands,  as 
we  have  intimated,  in  the  same  relation  to  it  that 
Madagascar  does  to  Africa,  forming  a  link  of  the 
powerful  chain  of  fortified  outposts  which  England 
has  shrewdly  established  to  maintain  an  open  route  to 
her  Indian  possessions.  This  cordon,  beginning  at 
Gibraltar,  extends  to  Malta,  Aden,  Ceylon,  Penang, 
Singapore,  and  Hongkong,  thus  dominating  the  south- 
ern coast  of  Asia,  and  insuring  the  maintenance  of 
British  power  in  the  East.  Of  those  named,  Cey- 
lon is  the  most  central  British  military  garrison. 
Colombo,  the  capital,  is  situated  nine  hundred  miles 
from  Bombay,  six  hundred  from  Madras,  fourteen 
hundred  from  Calcutta,  and  sixteen  hundred  from 
Singapore.  With  all  these  places  it  has  constant 
steam  communication.  Sir  Henry  Ward,  then  gov- 
ernor of  Ceylon,  sent  an  entire  infantry  regiment  to 
Calcutta  at  one  day's  notice,  when  the  outbreak  known 


26  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

as  the  Indian  mutiny  occurred  in  1857.  These  troops 
were  the  first  reinforcement  to  arrive  on  the  scene  at 
that  critical  period.  Touching  the  matter  of  home 
connection,  Colombo  is  nearly  seven  thousand  miles 
from  England  by  way  of  the  Suez  Canal,  which  is 
the  most  direct  route.  As  we  proceed  with  our  story 
of  Ceylon,  the  relevance  of  these  statistics  will  be- 
come more  apparent. 

The  surface  of  the  island  is  picturesquely  diversi- 
fied by  hills,  valleys,  and  plains.  Its  highest  moun- 
tain, Pidarutalagalla,  exceeds  eight  thousand  feet, 
while  its  most  famous  one,  Adam's  Peak,  rises  a  little 
over  seven  thousand  feet  above  sea  level.  This  is  a 
lonely  elevation,  springing  abruptly  into  a  sharp  cone 
from  the  bosom  of  the  low  hills  which  surround  it, 
and  from  out  of  a  wilderness  of  tropical  jungle.  Few 
mountains  of  its  height  require  more  persistent  effort 
to  reach  the  apex.  Serious  and  even  fatal  accidents 
have  many  times  occurred  among  the  pilgrim  hosts, 
who  have  been  drawn  hither  from  great  distances 
for  the  purpose  of  prostrating  themselves  before  the 
alleged  footprint.  The  ascent  from  the  Maskeliya 
side  is  much  easier  than  that  known  as  the  "Pil- 
grim's Path "  from  Ratnapura,  but  the  latter  is  con- 
sidered to  be  the  proper  one  by  which  the  truly  de- 
vout should  seek  the  holy  spot.  Upon  its  summit 
ceaseless  prayers  and  praises  have  ascended  for  thou- 
sands of  years.  Is  it  an  instinct  of  man,  one  pauses 
to  ask,  which  leads  him  to  ascend  such  a  height  that 


SACRED  FOOTPRINTS.  27 

he  may  seem  to  be  a  little  nearer  to  the  God  he  wor- 
ships ?  Besides  the  daily  visitors  in  the  month  of 
April,  crowds  of  pilgrims  from  thousands  of  miles 
away  in  northern  India,  Persia,  and  Arabia  come 
hither  annually  to  bow  down  before  a  crude  indenta- 
tion of  the  rocky  summit.  The  natives  have  a  legend 
that  Buddha  ascended  to  Heaven  from  this  mountain, 
but  other  religionists  substitute  the  name  of  Adam  ; 
hence  the  designation  which  it  bears.  There  is  an 
irregular  cavity  in  the  rock  supposed  to  have  been 
made  by  Buddha's  or  Adam's  foot,  whichever  may 
best  accord  with  the  pilgrim's  faith.  But  surely  the 
foot  of  nothing  less  than  a  human  giant  or  an  ele- 
phant would  be  nearly  so  large  as  this  misshapen, 
so-called  footprint.  It  is  curious  how  far  zealous 
fanatics  will  go  in  the  line  of  self-deception,  and 
out  of  what  flimsy  material  fictitious  legends  can  be 
constructed.  Dreamy  orientals  ascend  this  mountain 
solely  for  devotional  purposes,  but  the  western  trav- 
eler comes  up  hither  with  infinite  labor  to  enjoy  the 
grand  view  from  such  an  elevation,  and  to  see  the  sun 
rise  in  all  its  glory.  He  comes  also  to  witness  a  re- 
markable natural  phenomenon,  which  once  seen  is 
never  forgotten.  As  the  sun  rises  in  the  east,  there 
suddenly  appears  upon  the  western  sky  the  vast  re- 
flex of  the  peak,  as  clearly  defined  as  though  a  sec- 
ond and  precisely  similar  mountain  were  actually 
there.  Through  the  shadow,  which  seems  to  have 
some  peculiar  telescopic  effect  upon  the  atmosphere, 


28  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

one  sees  Colombo  distinctly,  though  it  is  nearly  fifty 
miles  away.  As  the  sun  rises  higher,  the  great 
mysterious  shadow  fades  slowly  away  like  a  ghostly 
phantom,  growing  less  and  less  distinct,  until  pres- 
ently the  west  is  also  suffused  with  the  waking  and 
regal  glow  of  the  morning. 

Then  is  spread  out  before  the  view  a  scene  of  in- 
spiration, rich  in  contrasting  effects  and  remarkable 
for  its  variety  of  lovely  tints.  One  may  search  half 
a  lifetime  without  discovering  anything  to  equal  its 
combined  charms.  The  mountain  stretching  east  and 
west,  the  verdant  plains,  the  picturesque  tea  and  cof- 
fee plantations,  the  groves  of  oranges,  palms,  bananas, 
and  other  tropical  fruits,  are  as  distinct  to  the  view 
as  though  within  an  arrow's  shot.  What  a  charming 
picture  to  frame  and  hang  within  one's  memory. 

According  to  the  priests,  four  Buddhas  have  visited 
the  peak.  The  first  was  there  B.  c.  3001,  the  sec- 
ond B.  c.  2099,  the  third  B.  c.  1014,  and  the  fourth, 
Gautama,  B.  c.  577. 

Adam's  Peak  is  by  actual  measurement  the  fifth 
elevation  in  point  of  altitude  among  a  list  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  mountains  varying  from  three  thou- 
sand to  seven  thousand  feet  in  height.  It  is  doubt- 
ful if  the  existence  of  so  well-defined  and  extensive  a 
mountain  range  in  this  equatorial  island  is  generally 
realized.  One  would  like  to  know  what  could  have 
been  the  primary  and  real  inducement  for  selecting 
this  spot  as  a  sanctuary.  The  Buddhists  think  that 


IMPORTANT  QUERY.  29 

the  miraculous  impression  of  Buddha's  foot  has  made 
the  place  sacred ;  the  Hindus  revere  it  as  being 
marked  by  the  foot  of  Siva  ;  the  Mohammedan  con- 
siders it  holy  as  bearing  the  footprint  of  Adam ;  and 
so  on.  How  came  Hindus,  Buddhists,  and  Moham- 
medans alike  to  attribute  special  sanctity  to  this 
particular  mountain  ?  Such  unanimity  of  sentiment 
among  widely  differing  sects  must  have  had  its  rise, 
it  would  seem,  in  some  legitimate  cause,  and  not  in 
the  mere  chance  selection  of  a  shrine. 

A  late  writer  upon  the  subject  of  Adam's  Peak 
refers  to  the  fact  that  in  the  Septuagint,  the  word 
"  Serendib  "  is  found  in  Genesis  viii.  4,  instead  of 
Ararat,  as  being  the  place  where  Noah's  ark  rested 
after  the  deluge !  Serendib,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered, is  the  Arabian  name  of  Ceylon.  One  thing 
is  quite  certain,  Asiatics  of  all  creeds  join  each  other 
in  a  profound  veneration  for  this  bold  and  striking 
mountain.  Marco  Polo,  the  famous  Venetian  trav- 
eler who  wrote  seven  centuries  ago,  spoke  of  the  peak 
as  containing  the  tomb,  not  the  footmark,  of  Adam. 
The  Mohammedans,  ever  ready  with  a  poetical  legend, 
still  declare  that  when  Adam  and  Eve  were  driven 
out  of  Paradise,  they  were  sent  to  Ceylon  to  console 
them  for  their  banishment. 

In  order  that  a  story  or  legend  should  touch  the 
credulity  of,  and  become  current  among,  oriental 
people,  there  are  two  grand  essentials :  it  must  be 
sufficiently  marvelous  and  ridiculously  extravagant. 


30  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

The  author  recommends  the  ascent  of  Adam's 
Peak  to  any  member  of  the  Alpine  Club  who  is 
ambitious  to  achieve  a  laborious  climb  heavenward. 
There  are  few  mountains  only  seven  thousand  four 
hundred  feet  in  height  which  present  such  difficul- 
ties as  this,  when  approached  from  Ratnapura. 

The  huge  iron  chains  which  aid  the  pilgrims  to 
ascend  the  almost  vertical  path  are  relics  of  so  great 
antiquity  that  in  the  legends  of  Mohammedans  they 
are  associated  with  the  name  of  Alexander  the  Great. 
The  marvel  is,  how  even  iron  could  so  have  withstood 
the  wear  of  ages,  thus  exposed  to  atmospheric  influ- 
ences. 

The  mountains  of  Ceylon  cover  about  one  sixth  of 
its  area,  rising  in  the  centre  of  the  middle  province, 
and  extending  nearly  across  the  island  from  coast  to 
coast.  The  southern  portion  is  in  all  respects  the 
most  attractive,  though  a  thousand  years  ago  the 
northern  part  of  the  island  was  the  most  populous 
and  the  most  highly  civilized.  At  the  north,  there 
are  still  to  be  seen  the  ruins  of  cities  whose  size  and 
riches  were  once  marvelous.  Unknown  agencies,  to- 
gether with  civil  wars  and  foreign  invasions,  have 
destroyed  these  ancient  capitals  and  turned  the 
neighboring  highly  cultivated  lands  into  a  wilderness. 
To-day  it  is  the  region  south  of  the  ancient  Kingdom 
of  Kandy  —  a  kingdom  no  more  —  which  most  in- 
vites the  stranger,  rendered  beautiful  by  an  endless 
succession  of  musical  streams,  waterfalls,  mirror-like 


THE  BUTTERFLY   TRIBE.  31 

lakes,  palm  groves,  and  flowery  labyrinths,  —  the  very 
realization  of  a  tropical  dream.  This  region,  dense 
with  forests  of  palms,  rich  in  fruit  trees,  gorgeous  in 
flowers,  is  the  paradise  of  fireflies ;  phosphorescent 
clouds  of  these  little  fairy-like  torch-bearers  illumine 
the  night  at  all  seasons,  reveling  beneath  the  shadow 
of  feathery  bamboos  and  broad-leaved  bread-fruit 
trees.  Here  they  sport,  contrasting  their  pyrotechnic 
display  with  the  emerald  lamps  of  the  glowworms. 
In  the  daytime,  radiant,  sun-loving  butterflies  on 
gossamer  wings  fill  the  atmosphere  with  flashing 
prismatic  hues,  the  harlequin-like  parrot  and  the 
royal-plumed  peacock  completing  the  outdoor  carni- 
val of  colors. 

The  great  green-winged  ornithoptera,  prince  of  the 
butterfly  tribe,  rivaling  the  humming-bird  in  size,  is 
nearly  as  abundant  as  at  Singapore,  a  living  gem, 
measuring  six  niches  across  the  extended  wings, — 
the  giant  of  its  species.  Enthusiastic  naturalists 
give  fabulous  sums  for  specimens  of  this  beautiful 
creature,  much  to  the  amazement  of  the  simple  na- 
tives, who  have  been  familiar  with  it  all  their  lives. 
The  appearance  of  this  lovely  insect  tribe  in  Ceylon 
is  gorgeous,  in  their  yellow  satin,  black  velvet,  and 
steel-blue  costumes  of  gossamer  texture,  daintily 
spotted  with  white,  green,  crimson,  and  ruby  red. 
These  frail  beauties  are  as  various  in  form  as  in  hues, 
still  a  perfect  harmony  of  order  is  always  observed. 
At  certain  seasons  of  the  year  and  at  uniform  inter- 


32  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

vals,  migration  of  myriads  of  butterflies  takes  place 
in  Ceylon,  but  whence  they  come  in  such  countless 
numbers,  or  whither  they  go,  no  one  seems  to  know. 
When  on  the  wing,  these  delicate  creatures  make 
marvelous  progress  against  the  northeast  monsoon, 
though  they  are  of  such  frail  construction  that  one 
would  think  the  slightest  puff  of  wind  must  dismem- 
ber their  bodies.  Where  there  are  so  many  blossoms 
and  odorous  flowers,  Nature  did  not  forget  also  to 
supply  myriads  of  the  delightful  little  humming- 
birds, which  are  seen,  with  breasts  and  throats  of 
gold  and  purple,  stealing  their  sweets  all  day  long, 
yet  leaving  enough  for  the  innumerable  wild  honey 
bees,  and  to  flavor  the  air  with  exquisite  odors. 
Ceylon  has  been  called  the  happy  hunting-ground  of 
naturalists,  for  collectors  are  overwhelmed  by  the 
number,  beauty,  and  variety  of  specimens  which  pre- 
sent themselves,  and  which  are  easily  secured. 

A  resident  told  the  author  of  a  lady  friend  who 
was  an  enthusiastic  naturalist  and  skillful  preserver 
of  specimens,  and  who  visited  the  island  solely  to 
gather  examples  of  this  fairy-like  creature.  She  was 
absent  from  England  five  months,  three  of  which  were 
passed  in  the  neighborhood  of  and  at  Colombo,  Point 
de  Galle,  and  Kantly.  Our  informant  said  that  the 
lady  not  only  added  vastly  to  her  own  priceless  col- 
lection, but  she  realized  from  those  she  sold  to  others 
a  sufficient  sum  to  pay  the  expense  of  her  visit  to 
Ceylon.  Every  one  might  not  expect  to  do  this,  but 


UNIQUE  CEYLON.  33 

the  person  referred  to  was  a  professional  in  her  Jine 
of  occupation,  and  produced  finished,  artistic  results. 

It  has  been  the  author's  privilege  to  visit  nearly 
all  parts  of  the  world,  not  omitting  the  principal 
islands  in  both  hemispheres,  north  and  south  of  the 
equator.  With  this  experience,  he  does  not  hesi- 
tate to  place  Ceylon  in  the  first  rank  for  natural 
riches  and  attractiveness,  and,  next  to  Malta,  in  the 
same  relative  position  as  regards  its  far-reaching  and 
interesting  historical  associations.  In  the  exuberance 
of  its  vegetation,  the  productiveness  of  its  glorious 
palms,  the  abundance  of  its  luscious  fruits,  —  including 
that  seductive  apple  of  the  East,  the  mangosteen,  — 
and  the  fascinating  beauty  of  its  variegated  flora,  it  is 
not  surpassed  by  any  island  or  continent  on  the  globe. 
A  spirit  of  romance  is  engendered  by  the  very  name 
of  Ceylon,  the  chosen  field  of  oriental  fable,  recalling 
its  mighty  ruins,  its  unique  native  gems,  its  tribes  of 
peculiar  people,  its  mysterious  jungles,  its  array  of 
brilliantly  colored  birds,  and  its  huge  wild  animals 
inviting  the  spirited  hunter  to  deeds  of  daring  and 
adventure.  A  simple  statement  of  statistical  facts 
will  emphasize  this  last  reference.  The  printed 
records  show  that,  during  the  five  years  ending  in 
1862,  sixteen  hundred  wild  elephants  were  ensnared, 
and  sufficiently  tamed  to  be  exported  to  India.  In 
accomplishing  the  capture  of  these,  about  two  hun- 
dred are  believed  to  have  been  killed  by  the  bullets 
of  the  hunters,  besides  others  which  escaped  while  so 


34  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

seriously  wounded  that  they  must  have  died  in  their 
nearly  inaccessible  haunts.  Since  the  date  named, 
such  wholesale  slaughter  has  been  prohibited  by  gov- 
ernment. Comparatively  few  are  now  exported 
yearly,  and  the  only  market  for  them  is  India,  if 
we  except  a  limited  demand  from  European  zoologi- 
cal gardens,  and  American  circuses  and  traveling 
menageries. 

At  one  time,  not  many  years  ago,  the  English 
authorities  paid  a  reward  for  the  killing  of  elephants. 
The  fact  is,  they  had  become  so  numerous  and  de- 
structive, especially  in  the  rice-fields  at  harvest  time, 
that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  reduce  the  number 
of  the  wild  ones.  A  reward  of  ten  shillings  was 
therefore  offered  and  paid  for  each  tail  brought  to 
the  official  headquarters.  These  animals,  at  that 
time,  had  long  been  undisturbed,  and  were  conse- 
quently less  shy ;  while  now,  on  the  report  of  a  gun, 
all  the  wild  elephants  within  hearing,  impelled  by  an 
intelligence  bought  by  experience,  rush  for  the  depths 
of  the  jungle,  which  is  quite  inaccessible  to  human 
beings.  They  are  mostly  magnificent  and  wary 
creatures.  No  white  ones  are  ever  seen  here,  though 
they  are  so  abundant  in  Siam.  The  elephants  are 
measured,  in  Ceylon,  at  the  shoulders,  and  a  full- 
grown  male  stands  usually  about  nine  feet  in  height 
at  this  point,  rather  under  than  over.  The  largest 
elephants  on  the  island  are  said  to  haunt  the  country 
about  the  ancient  ruins  of  Pollanarua,  where  there  are 


ANTIQUITY  OF  CEYLON.  35 

some  almost  impassable  forests.  The  fever-haunted 
jungles  have  no  terrors  for  these  huge  creatures, 
which  seemingly  enjoy  entire  immunity  from  all  the 
ills  attendant  upon  such  surroundings.  In  its  native 
wilds,  no  one  ever  saw  an  elephant  ill  from  natural 
causes.  When  death  threatens  them  from  old  age  or 
the  wounds  of  the  huntsmen,  they  retire  and  hide 
themselves,  to  die. 

The  charms  of  this  island  were  well  known  in  past 
ages.  It  is  no  new  discovery  of  our  day,  as  the 
earliest  writers  celebrated  the  pearls  and  gems  of 
"  Taprobane,"  and  ornaments  composed  of  its  pre- 
cious stones  decked  Asiatic  queens  of  beauty  twice 
ten  hundred  years  ago.  Ancient  thrones  were  beau- 
tified by  its  sparkling  sapphires,  and  the  products 
of  its  spice-fields  rendered  fragrant  the  fires  which 
burned  upon  the  altars  of  pagan  gods.  The  Greeks 
called  it  the  "  land  of  the  hyacinth  and  the  ruby." 
Primitive  nomenclature  is  not  only  poetically  descrip- 
tive, but  is  nearly  always  appropriate. 

The  island  is  very  ancient  in  its  historical  relations. 
Its  most  famous  capital  is  supposed  to  have  been  in 
its  prime  five  or  six  hundred  years  before  the  Chris- 
tian era,  while  some  of  its  crumbling  monuments 
belong  to  a  much  earlier  age.  It  is  confidently  be- 
lieved by  many  students  of  history  to  be  the  Ophir 
of  the  Hebrews ;  and  the  fact  that  it  still  abounds  in 
rubies,  sapphires,  amethysts,  garnets,  and  other  pre- 
cious stones,  seems,  in  a  degree,  to  corroborate  this 


36  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

supposition.  An  intelligent  estimate  as  to  the  aggre- 
gate value  of  the  gems  exported  from  Ceylon  during 
the  long  past  places  it  at  so  enormous  a  figure  that 
we  decline  to  give  it  in  this  connection,  though  fully 
realizing  that  the  yield  has  been  going  on  uninter- 
ruptedly for  a  period  of  two  or  three  thousand  years. 
But  aside  from  this  very  attractive  feature,  it  is,  as 
a  whole,  the  most  beautiful  island  of  the  East,  pro- 
ducing many  other  gems  besides  those  of  a  mineral 
nature.  "It  is  truly  impossible  to  exaggerate  the 
natural  beauty  of  Ceylon,"  says  the  author  of  "  The 
Light  of  Asia,"  and  adds :  "  The  island  is,  in  fact, 
one  prodigious  garden,  where  the  forces  of  nature 
almost  oppress  and  tyrannize  the  mind,  so  strong  and 
lavish  is  the  vegetation."  Marco  Polo,  who  visited  it 
in  the  thirteenth  century,  said  that  it  was  the  choicest 
island  of  its  size  on  the  earth;  and  though,  in  the 
dim  light  of  such  information  as  was  obtainable  in 
his  day,  he  made  some  grotesquely  incorrect  state- 
ments relating  to  the  country,  he  was  most  certainly 
right  in  this  superlative  praise.  He  adds  that  the 
territory  of  Ceylon  was  much  larger  in  former  times 
than  in  his  day,  a  great  part  of  it  having  crumbled 
away  and  sunk  into  the  sea.  This  is  an  important 
conclusion,  with  which  our  modern  geographers  are 
very  ready  to  agree,  though  conjecture  only  can  say 
to  what  extent  it  may  have  occurred. 

As  already  mentioned,  the  arboreal  and  floral  dis- 
play is  glorious  beyond  expression,  forming  a  very 


ISLAND  FLORA.  37 

paradise  for  botanists.     Nature  seems  in  this  latitude 

to  revel  in  blossoms  of  novel  and  fascinating  species. 

Moisture  and  heat  seek  here  an  outlet  to  expand  their 
fructifying  powers.  Situated  in  the  path  of  the  two 
monsoons,  the  southwest  from  the  Indian  Ocean,  and 
the  northeast  from  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  there  is  hardly 
a  month  of  the  year  without  more  or  less  rain  in  Cey- 
lon ;  vegetation  is  therefore  always  green  and  leafage 
luxuriant.  In  the  jungle,  large  and  brilliant  flowers 
are  seen  blooming  upon  tall  trees,  while  the  eye  is  at- 
tracted by  others  very  sweet  and  tiny  in  the  prolific 
undergrowth,  nestling  among  creepers  and  climbing 
ferns.  In  fact,  the  flora  is  endless  in  variety  and 
intoxicating  in  fragrance.  Perfume  and  bloom  run 
riot  everywhere.  It  would  be  vain  to  attempt  an 
enumeration  of  the  myriad  examples,  but  memory  is 
quick  to  recall  the  charming  pitcher  plant,  the  lotus, 

—  its  flower  eight  inches  in  diameter,  —  the  yellow 
jessamine,  the  gorgeous  magnolia,  with  innumerable 
orchids  in  their  perfection  of  form  and  color,  not 
forgetting  the  orange-hued  gloriosa,  and  the  beautiful 
vine  bearing  the  wild  passion-flower.  There  is  also 
the  large  pearl-hued  convolvulus  which  blossoms  only 
at  night,  known  in  Ceylon  as  "the  moon  flower," 
and  conspicuous  through  the  dimness  by  its  radiant 
whiteness.  Many  of  the  orchids  exhibit  a  most  sin- 
gular similitude  to  animals  and  beautiful  birds  in 
their  unspeakable  and  sweet  variety.  At  first  sight, 
a  collection  of  them  strikes  one  like  a  bevy  of  gor- 


38  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

geous  butterflies  and  humming-birds,  flitting  among 
the  green  leaves.  It  seems  as  if  Nature  had  created 
them  in  one  of  her  happiest  and  most  frolicsome 
moods,  —  "so  true  it  is,"  says  Macaulay,  "that 
Nature  has  caprices  which  Art  cannot  imitate." 
Occasionally  the  senses  are  charmed  by  the  fragrant, 
yellow-flowered  champac,  held  sacred  by  the  Hindus, 
from  the  wood  of  which  the  small  images  of  Buddha 
are  carved  for  the  temples.  Here,  too,  we  have  the 
odorous  frangipane,  the  flower  which  Columbus  found 
in  such  abundance  on  first  landing  in  Cuba.  Was 
it  indigenous,  one  would  like  to  know,  in  both  of 
these  tropical  islands  so  very  far  apart  ?  It  is  a  tall 
plant,  with  few  branches  except  at  the  top,  but  having 
fleshy  shoots  with  a  broad-spread,  single  leaf.  The 
sensitive  plant,  which  is  such  a  delicate  house  orna- 
ment with  us,  fairly  enamels  the  earth  in  this  island, 
growing  wild  from  Adam's  Peak  to  Point  de  Galle, 
multiplying  its  dainty,  bell-like  pink  blossoms,  min- 
gled with  the  delicate  feathery  acacia.  Growing  so 
exposed,  and  in  weed-like  abundance,  it  is  natural  to 
suppose  that  it  would  become  hardened,  as  it  were, 
to  rough  usage ;  but  it  is 'not  so,  as  it  retains  all  its 
native  properties,  in  exaggerated  form,  if  possible. 
Our  puny  little  hothouse  specimens  are  not  more 
delicate  or  sensitive  to  the  human  touch  than  is  this 
Ceylon  mimosa.  It  is  the  most  impressible  of  all 
known  plants,  and  is  appropriately  named.  Curious 
experiments  prove  this.  If  a  person  will  fix  his  eyes 


THE  SENSITIVE  PLANT.  39 

upon  a  special  branch  and  slowly  approach  it,  the 
plant  is  seen  gradually  to  wilt  and  shrink  within 
itself,  as  it  were,  before  it  is  touched  by  the  observer's 
hand.  It  is  endowed  with  an  inexplicable  intelli- 
gence or  instinct,  and  what  appears  to  be  a  dread  as 
regards  rude  contact  with  human  beings.  A  few 
years  since,  the  author  was  at  Cereto,  in  the  island 
of  Cuba,  where  he  was  the  guest  of  an  English  phy- 
sician who  was  also  a  coffee  planter.  While  sitting 
with  the  family  on  the  broad  piazza  which  formed  the 
front  of  the  bungalow,  a  thrifty  sensitive  plant  was 
recognized  and  made  the  subject  of  remark.  The 
doctor  called  his  young  daughter  of  eleven  years 
from  the  house. 

"  Lena,"  said  he,  "  go  and  kiss  the  mimosa." 

The  child  did  so,  laughing  gleefully,  and  came 
away.  The  plant  gave  no  token  of  shrinking  from 
contact  with  the  pretty  child ! 

"  Now,"  said  our  host,  "  will  you  touch  the  plant  ?  " 

Rising  to  do  so,  we  approached  it  with  one  hand 
extended,  and  before  it  had  come  fairly  in  contact, 
the  nearest  spray  and  leaves  wilted  visibly. 

uThe  plant  knows  the  child,"  said  the  doctor, 
"  but  you  are  a  stranger." 

It  was  a  puzzling  experience,  which  seemed  to  endow 
the  mimosa  with  human  intelligence. 

One  brings  away  especially  a  vivid  memory  of  the 
brilliant  scarlet  and  golden  bloom  which  covers  the 
flamboyer  so  densely  as  almost  to  hide  from  view  its 


40  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

foliage  of  velvet  green.  Only  in  far-away,  mid-ocean 
Hawaii  does  the  traveler  see  this  gorgeous  tree  so  per- 
fectly developed. 

The  former  superintendent  of  the  Royal  Botanical 
Gardens  near  Kandy,  whither  we  shall  take  the 
reader  in  due  tune,  is  a  scientific  botanist,  and  an 
enthusiast  in  his  profession.  He  tells  us  that  he 
classified  nearly  three  thousand  indigenous  plants, 
which  is  double  the  flora  of  Great  Britain,  and  about 
one  tenth  of  all  the  species  in  the  world  yet  described. 
Thirty  of  these  are  declared  to  be  found  only  upon 
this  island.  If  correct,  this  is  certainly  a  very  re- 
markable fact,  and  forms  an  additional  incentive  for 
exploration  on  the  part  of  naturalists. 

Any  reader  of  these  pages  who  can  conveniently 
visit  Cambridge,  Mass.,  should  not  fail  to  enjoy  the 
unique  and  comprehensive  collection  of  specimens 
representing  the  flora  of  Ceylon,  now  in  the  Agassiz 
Museum.  The  material  is  glass,  although  it  seems 
to  be  wax,  but  so  perfectly  has  the  work  been  done, 
under  direction  of  Professor  George  L.  Goodale,  of 
Harvard  College,  as  to  be  indeed  realistic.  We  have 
called  this  collection  unique,  and  it  is  absolutely  so. 
Bostonians  can  find  no  more  charming  local  attraction 
with  which  to  entertain  appreciative  visitors  from 
abroad  than  this  in  the  department  of  botany  at  the 
institution  named. 

There  is  a  constant  unvarying  aspect  of  green  per- 
vading the  scenery  of  Ceylon,  owing  to  the  perennial 


BIRDS  AND  FLOWERS.  41 

nature  of  the  vegetation.  The  trees  do  not  shed  their 
leaves  at  any  fixed  period  of  the  year.  The  ripe  and 
withered  foliage  drops  off,  but  it  is  promptly  replaced 
by  new  and  delicate  leaves,  whose  exquisite  hues  when 
first  expanding  rival  the  blossoms  themselves  in 
beauty  of  color.  If  fruit  is  plucked,  a  flower  quickly 
follows  and  another  cluster  ripens,  —  Nature  is  inex- 
haustible. There  is  no  winter  interval  or  sleep  for 
the  vegetation,  no  period  of  the  sere  and  yellow  leaf,  as 
with  us  in  the  colder  north.  The  fruits  and  flowers 
are  ever  present,  yet  there  is  a  certain  resemblance  to 
spring  and  autumn,  as  we  are  accustomed  to  see  them. 
The  shrubs  and  trees  are  decked  more  or  less  with 
young  fresh  leaves  at  all  times,  while  the  ground  is 
strewn  with  those  in  a  state  of  decay  which  have 
ripened  and  faded  out  of  life.  The  latter  with  us  are 
the  harbingers  of  winter,  the  former  coming  only  with 
the  opening  spring.  Thus  it  is  that  we  call  it  the 
reign  of  eternal  summer,  for  all  out-of-doors  seems 
like  a  conservatory  of  choice  flowers  and  birds  of 
dazzling  hues.  Although  these  highly  colored  crea- 
tures of  the  feathered  tribe,  like  the  butterflies,  are 
almost  innumerable,  one  is  forced  to  admit  that  there 
are  few  sweet  songsters  among  them.  Paroquets 
in  mottled  green,  practicing  their  dainty  ways,  present 
themselves  in  flocks,  lighting  upon  the  nearest  bushes 
and  branches  with  a  winning  fearlessness  and  confi- 
dence. They  will  slip  quietly  away  if  one  attempts 
to  catch  them,  but  when  taken  young  they  are  easily 


42  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

domesticated,  accommodating  themselves  to  human 
associations  with  the  utmost  facility,  and  though  they 
are  left  free  to  seek  the  woods  and  jungle  when 
they  choose,  they  are  sure  to  return  voluntarily  to 
the  cabins  of  the  natives,  to  be  fed  and  petted  by 
human  hands. 

One  variety  of  the  green  paroquet  has  a  curious 
rose-colored  ring  about  its  neck,  like  the  turtle-dove, 
so  delicate  and  uniform  as  to  seem  almost  artificial. 
The  natives  call  it  the  love-bird.  The  youthful  Sin- 
ghalese women,  like  those  of  Japan,  take  great  pains 
in  the  arrangement  of  their  ebon-black  hair.  It  was 
a  unique  and  very  pretty  sight  observed  one  day  in 
the  native  district  of  Colombo,  when  a  pair  of  live 
paroquets'  heads,  forming  the  apex  to  a  native 
woman's  abundant  coil,  were  seen  coquettishly  twist- 
ing and  turning  hither  and  thither.  The  little  beau- 
ties were  quite  content,  perched  up  there  amid  their 
mistress'  wealth  of  tresses.  They  were  hardly  con- 
fined, though  their  bodies  were  laid  cosily  beneath 
the  braids  as  though  resting  in  their  native  nest. 
What  a  field  this  tropical  isle  would  have  been  for 
Audubon ! 

One  often  sees  hovering  about  the  gardens  and 
bungalows  a  little  bird  as  large  as  an  English  spar- 
row, called  the  Ceylon  bird  of  paradise,  but  which 
does  not  deserve  that  name.  It  has  a  black  head,  a 
neutral-tinted  body,  and  a  long  tail,  five  times  the 
length  of  its  body,  consisting  of  pure  white  feathers. 


CEYLON  BIRD    OF  PARADISE.  43 

Its  only  marked  peculiarity,  so  far  as  is  apparent, 
consists  in  its  singular  and  disproportionate  tail. 
It  has  a  little  fretful,  discordant  twitter,  .but  no  con- 
nected notes.  The  Singhalese  name  for  the  bird 
escapes  us  at  this  writing. 

Ornithologists  make  out  a  list  of  over  three  hun- 
dred distinct  species  of  birds  in  Ceylon,  among  which 
the  largest  variety  is  found  in  the  parrot  family,  very 
nearly  equaled  by  the  wading  and  aquatic  tribes. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Wearisome  Tropics.  —  Waterspouts.  —  Climatic  Conditions.  — 
Length  of  Days.  —  A  Land  Rich  in  Prehistoric  Monuments.  —  His- 
tory and  Fable.  —  Last  King  of  Ceylon.  —  Ancient  Ruins.  —  Aged 
Cave  Temples.  —  Gigantic  Stone  Statue  of  Buddha.  —  French.  Van- 
dals. —  A  Native  Chronicle.  —  Once  the  Seat  of  a  Great  Empire.  — 
System  of  Irrigation.  —  Mysterious  Disappearance  of  a  Nation.  — 
Ruins  of  a  Vast  City.  —  Departed  Glory.  —  The  Brazen  Palace. 
—  Asiatic  Extravagance.  —  Ruined  Monument. 

THE  author  had  been  expressing  a  sense  of  hearty 
appreciation,  on  a  certain  occasion,  in  a  domestic  cir- 
cle at  Colombo,  as  to  the  perennial  character  of  the 
vegetation,  together  with  the  endless  variety  of  fruits 
and  flowers  in  this  favored  land,  but  it  appeared  that 
those  who  had  adopted  it  as  their  home  did  not  find 
it  to  be  absolute  perfection.  There  is  no  terrestrial 
paradise ;  there  was  never  a  golden  age ;  both  of 
these  figures  of  speech  are  born  of  poetical  license : 
but  to  the  traveler  who  recalled  for  a  moment  the 
ice-bound  aspect  and  chilling  snow  of  his  New  Eng- 
land home  which  must  have  prevailed  at  that  mo- 
ment, the  contrast  which  surrounded  him  here  had  a 
magic  charm. 

"  It  seems  almost  like  heresy  to  say  so,"  remarked 
the  cultured  and  amiable  wife  of  our  host,  an  English 
official,  "  but  one  does  sometimes  weary  of  the  same- 
ness in  the  verdure  of  the  tropics,  lovely  as  it  is, 


CLIMATIC  EFFECTS.  45 

while  remembering  with  a  sigh  the  beautiful,  vary- 
ing autumn  and  the  joyous  springtime  of  more  north- 
ern regions.  Here  we  are  always  upon  a  dead  level, 
so  to  speak;  no  contrasts  present  themselves.  Eter- 
nal summer  palls  upon  one.  Perpetual  youth  in  the 
vegetable  kingdom,"  she  added,  "  seems  as  unnatural 
and  undesirable  as  it  would  be  in  human  life.  We 
have  no  winter,  spring,  or  autumn  in  our  Ceylon  cal- 
endar." 

The  equable  and  fruitful  climate  of  the  island  is 
not  produced,  as  is  the  case  upon  the  west  coast  of 
California,  by  the  influence  of  the  ocean.  There  the 
Kurosiwo  or  Japanese  current,  which  closely  follows 
the  trend  of  the  land  like  a  mighty  river,  with  a  con- 
stant temperature  resembling  the  Gulf  Stream  of  the 
Atlantic,  and  a  width  of  five  hundred  miles,  makes 
a  semi-tropical  climate  of  a  latitude  which  is  often 
Arctic  farther  inland.  Its  equatorial  situation  alone 
endows  Ceylon  with  endless  summer. 

It  is  curious  to  observe  how  the  nature  of  some 
plants  and  trees  is  changed  by  transplanting  them 
hither,  and  the  same  is  also  remarked  of  the  average 
individual  who  has  come  from  other  less  genial  lands 
to  settle  in  an  equatorial  climate.  If  it  proves  to  be 
a  healthy  one,  he  takes  very  kindly  to  the  delightful 
do-nothing  of  such  a  region,  together  with  its  lazy, 
sensuous  enjoyments,  losing  in  a  large  degree  the 
energy  and  ambition  naturally  developed  among  the 
people  of  the  north.  The  moral  is  obvious.  He  who 


46  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

runs  may  read.  It  requires  a  colder  clime,  with  a 
soil  not  too  willing,  to  awaken  human  energy,  and  to 
place  man  at  his  best.  Luxury  enervates ;  necessitous 
labor  strengthens. 

Fruit-bearing  trees  transplanted  from  the  United 
States,  such  as  peach,  cherry,  and  pear  trees,  have  in 
many  instances  ceased  to  produce  fruit,  and  have 
become  partial  evergreens.  Experiments  with  grape- 
vines from  northern  climates  have  met  with  similar 
results.  In  nearly  the  same  latitude,  however,  though 
in  opposite  hemispheres,  the  transplanting  of  some 
fruit  trees,  and  especially  of  the  vine,  seems  to  im- 
part fresh  life  and  fruitfulness.  Those  brought  from 
France  and  Italy  put  on  new  vigor  when  they  are 
domesticated  on  the  Pacific  coast  of  this  continent ; 
while  the  mission  grapevine  and  others  native  in 
California,  exported  thence  to  the  countries  named, 
flourish  marvelously  and  produce  abundantly.  At 
this  writing,  news  comes  to  us  of  the  partial  failure 
of  the  grape  crop  in  some  of  the  vineyards  of  south- 
ern France,  and  also  that,  following  out  the  results 
of  late  experiences,  the  old  vines  are  to  be  replaced 
by  the  introduction  of  California  varieties.  The  grape- 
vine does  not  seem  adapted  to  tropical  climes.  It  is 
not  a  perennial  growth,  but  must  enjoy  its  long  win- 
ter rest  in  order  to  thrive.  Even  in  mild,  equable 
southern  California,  its  fruit-bearing  branches  are  cut 
back  annually  to  the  main  stalk,  where  the  principal 
life  is  stored.  The  new  branches  of  the  mission  grape, 


THE  MONSOONS.  47 

as  it  is  called  in  this  region,  produce  bunches  of  the 
luscious  fruit  yearly,  which  often  weigh  four  and  five 
pounds  each ;  but  as  we  have  said,  the  new  growth  is 
cut  away  every  year  after  fruiting. 

Checking  the  vagrant  inclination  of  pen  and  brain 
to  travel  afield,  let  us  turn  to  matters  more  relative 
to  the  expressed  purpose  of  these  pages. 

The  island  of  Ceylon  is  favorably  situated  outside 
the  region  of  the  cyclones  which  so  frequently  pre- 
vail in  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and  the  neighboring  ocean, 
while  it  is  also  free  from  the  hurricanes  of  the  Mau- 
ritius Sea  and  the  volcanic  outbursts  of  the  Eastern 
Archipelago.  There  is  no  evidence  of  seismic  dis- 
turbance in  this  region,  either  past  or  present.  One 
does  not  leave  waterspouts  entirely  behind  in  the 
Gulf  of  Siam,  on  reaching  the  shore  of  this  island. 
Just  before  the  season  of  the  monsoons,  they  appear 
sometimes  off  this  coast.  They  are  never,  however, 
of  a  fierce,  whirlwind  character,  so  as  to  cause  any 
serious  harm. 

As  regards  climatic  conditions,  the  coolest  season  of 
the  year  is  during  the  prevalence  of  the  southwest 
monsoons,  or  from  the  end  of  April  to  the  end  of 
October.  The  northeast  monsoon  is  of  shorter  dura- 
tion, prevailing  during  November,  December,  January, 
and  February.  Both  these  periods  are  ushered  in  by 
heavy  thunder-storms  and  a  liberal  downpour  of  rain. 
The  reader  who  has  never  experienced  an  equatorial 
land-storm  has  no  conception  of  the  fury  of  the  ele- 


48  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

ments  under  such  circumstances.  The  continued  blaze 
of  the  fiery  lightning  and  the  deafening  crash  which 
echoes  through  the  skies  are  beyond  description. 
Timid  people  try  to  hide  themselves  in  the  dark  cor- 
ners of  the  bungalows,  while  even  the  natives  and 
animals  often  become  tremulous  with  fear.  It  must 
be  admitted  that  fatal  accidents  are  frequent  enough 
during  these  thunder-storms  to  keep  an  apprehension 
of  danger  constantly  alive.  In  the  mountain  regions 
about  Kandy  and  Ratnapura,  where  the  echoes  sup- 
plement the  grand  electric  discharges,  the  deafening 
noise  and  reverberation  can  only  be  compared  to  the 
quick,  sharp,  detonating  reports  of  heavy  artillery. 
The  monsoons  occur  with  the  utmost  regularity,  both 
here  and  over  a  large  portion  of  the  neighboring  con- 
tinent, and  they  are  so  regular  that  their  arrival  can 
be  calculated  upon  nearly  to  a  day.  Electrical  phe- 
nomena, thunder  and  lightning,  are,  as  just  intimated, 
often  very  grand.  So,  also,  is  the  prevalence  of  opti- 
cal displays,  such  as  rainbows  and  mirage.  As  to 
moonlight  nights  and  their  dazzling  exhibitions,  like 
those  of  the  tropical  regions  generally,  words  are  in- 
adequate to  express  their  splendor,  at  once  so  brilliant 
and  so  calm. 

The  climate  is  very  much  like  that  of  Java,  humid 
and  hot,  especially  in  the  southern  portion  nearest  to 
the  coast ;  it  is,  however,  considerably  more  moderate 
than  that  of  the  mainland  of  India.  Although  so 
very  warm,  it  is  equable ;  one  is  aware  of  what  to 


ANCIENT  MONUMENTS.  49 

expect  and  can  prepare  for  it.  Occasional  frosts 
occur  in  the  highlands,  but  snow  is  unknown  even  on 
the  mountain  tops.  The  length  of  days,  owing  to  the 
proximity  to  the  equator,  does  not  vary  more  than  one 
hour,  the  sun  setting  at  Colombo  at  about  six  o'clock 
all  the  year  round.  At  Dondra  Head,  the  extreme 
southern  point  of  Ceylon,  the  difference  between  the 
longest  and  shortest  day  of  the  year  is  only  forty 
minutes. 

This  interesting  island  is  rich  in  prehistoric  monu- 
ments, Buddhist  temples,  and  lofty  dagobas,  some  of 
which  were  originally  over  three  hundred  feet  in 
height,  exceeding  that  of  the  Cathedral  of  Notre 
Dame,  in  Paris,  by  sixty  feet.  This,  be  it  remem- 
bered, was  representative  of  a  civilization  which  ex- 
isted upon  an  island  of  the  Indian  Ocean  between 
two  and  three  thousand  years  ago.  The  lofty,  gor- 
geous colored,  and  eccentric  temples  which  the  traveler 
regards  with  such  curious  interest  in  India  belong  to 
a  much  more  modern  period.  They  are  structures 
which  have  been  raised  oftentimes  upon  the  site  of 
former  heathen  shrines.  So  in  Rome,  many  of  the 
churches  which  we  visit  to-day  and  accredit  with 
great  antiquity  are  rebuilt  upon  edifices  formerly 
dedicated  to  strange  gods.  Some  remain  intact,  like 
the  Temple  of  Hercules  and  the  Pantheon.  These 
Ceylon  dagobas  are  only  one  class  of  monuments,  and 
are  to  be  considered  in  connection  with  other  vestiges 
of  vast  public  structures,  the  origin  and  purpose  of 


50  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

which  have  been  lost  sight  of  in  the  lapse  of  ages. 
Slabs  of  granite  engraven  with  half-effaced  inscrip- 
tions in  Pali,  and  in  unknown  characters,  are  still 
found,  mystifying  the  most  learned  antiquarians,  while 
the  significance  of  others  has  been  made  plain  by 
means  of  commendable  patience  and  scholarly  ac- 
quirements. What  an  object  lesson  is  here  pre- 
sented, attesting  the  evanescence  of  all  mundane 
power  and  glory.  Here  are  evidences  of  vast  and 
costly  enterprises,  such  as  the  rearing  of  grand 
monuments  whose  legitimate  object  can  only  be  con- 
jectured, and  the  names  of  whose  builders  are  for- 
gotten. The  annals  of  the  Singhalese,  to  whom  we 
are  not  accustomed  to  give  much  credit  as  a  literary 
people,  yet  afford  consecutive  historical  data  for 
twenty-four  centuries  back,  though,  as  in  most  orien- 
tal countries,  the  records  of  their  past  combine  truth 
and  fable  almost  indiscriminately,  so  that  it  is  often 
difficult  to  distinguish  one  from  the  other.  These 
Eastern  writers  had  a  royal  mode  of  assertion,  much 
more  impressive  than  convincing ;  as  regards  the 
general  fidelity  of  these  annals,  however,  there  is  no 
reasonable  doubt,  after  allowing  for  what  may  be 
termed  poetical  license  of  expression.  We  may  well 
ask  ourselves  how  many  lands  can,  like  Ceylon,  tell 
so  much  of  their  past  history  in  authentic  records 
verified  by  enduring  monuments.  As  is  well  known, 
we  in  America  go  back  only  about  four  centuries 
before  the  trail  of  history  is  lost.  To  be  sure,  con- 


ANCIENT  CIVILIZATION.  51 

jecture  is   abundant   enough,   but  conjecture  is   not 
history. 

Compared  with  the  probable  age  of  the  globe,  how 
quickly  history  fades  into  fable !  Agassiz  thought 
this  to  be  the  oldest  country  of  which  we  have  any 
reliable  knowledge.  The  Western  mound  builders 
were  undoubtedly  a  distinctive  race,  yet  who  can  tell 
their  story?  The  mysteries  of  Yucatan  are  unsolved. 
There  was  a  civilization  once  existing  in  Peru  whose 
history  is  to  us  a  blank.  Of  the  origin  of  the  Sphinx, 
older  than  the  Pyramids,  what  do  we  really  know? 
On  Easter  Island,  in  the  South  Pacific,  are  inde- 
structible evidences  of  an  ancient  people,  who  pos- 
sessed a  written  language  so  old  that  no  one  can 
decipher  its  admirably  graven  characters.  Where  did 
that  island  come  from,  and  what  became  of  its  peo- 
ple ?  Were  they  and  their  country  submerged,  like 
another  Atlantis,  and  is  this  island  the  apex  of  a 
mountain  range  left  above  the  devouring  ocean  to 
tell  the  tale?  This  is  not  a  wild  supposition.  It 
has  been  suggested  and  declared  possible  by  more 
than  one  astute  and  scholarly  writer  upon  physical 
geography.  As  to  antiquity,  the  monuments  of 
Egypt  enable  us  to  trace  back  the  history  of  civil- 
ized man  only  six  thousand  years,  though  all  intelli- 
gent archaeologists  know  that  the  earth  must  have 
been  inhabited  by  human  beings  an  infinite  num- 
ber of  years  prior  to  that  period.  Philology  and 
geology  are  sufficient  to  prove  this. 


52  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

Singhalese  annals  record  in  detail  the  reign  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  sovereigns  during  a  period  extend- 
ing from  the  conquest  of  the  island,  B.  c.  543,  by 
Wijaya,  a  prince  from  northern  India,  to  the  deposi- 
tion of  Wikram  Raja  Sinka  by  the  English  in  1815. 
This  was  the  last  king  of  Kandy,  the  then  native 
capital  of  Ceylon.  Sufficient  is  recorded  of  the  per- 
sonal character  of  Wijaya,  the  early  conqueror  of  the 
island,  to  prove  his  utter  barbarity,  so  that  we  are 
naturally  led  still  more  to  wonder  whence  came  the 
artists  —  for  artists  they  were  —  who  designed  and 
built  such  cities  as  Anuradhapura  and  Pollonarua,  the 
first  of  which  was  probably  founded  during  his  reign. 
Either  the  Singhalese  as  a  race  must  have  retrograded 
in  a  most  marvelous  manner,  while  other  nationalities 
were  in  the  line  of  progress,  or  foreign  artists  and 
builders  must  have  been  imported  to  rear  such  grand 
and  beautiful  capitals  in  this  Indian  isle.  Does  the 
reader  realize  that  our  best  architects  to-day  go  back 
for  suggestions  to  the  elaborate  and  elegant  ornamen- 
tations which  prevailed  at  this  period  in  stone  columns 
and  lofty  facades  ?  Though  scarred  by  warfare  with 
the  ages,  these  still  form  rare  and  choice  object  lessons 
to  the  appreciative  artist. 

Among  the  remarkable  evidences  of  great  antiquity 
in  Ceylon,  we  recall  the  elaborate  cave-temples  of 
Dambula,  hewn  out  of  the  primitive  rock,  and  which 
have  existed  at  least  two  thousand  years,  representing 
an  infinite  amount  of  patient  labor,  which  must  have 


BUDDHIST  TEMPLES.  53 

been  executed  with  tools  admirably  adapted  to  the 
purpose  assigned.  The  principal  temple  —  there  are 
four  of  them  —  was  dedicated  to  Buddha,  whose  creed 
is  still  the  prevailing  faith  of  Asia,  —  a  doctrine  ages 
older  than  our  so-called  Christian  religion.  The 
entrance  to  the  principal  cave-temple  is  elaborately 
carved  in  the  solid  stone,  and  is  wonderfully  well- 
preserved.  The  design  is  harmonious  with  the  pur- 
pose, presenting  a  score  or  more  of  figures  in 
bas-relief,  with  embellishments  appropriate  to  the 
Buddhist  faith.  Two  mammoth  figures,  one  on  either 
side,  represent,  probably,  guardian  spirits  or  gods. 
Just  within,  there  is  an  altar  with  a  sitting  figure  of 
Buddha,  opposite  the  entrance.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  the  ornamental  entrance  to  the  temple,  as  ex- 
hibiting the  degree  of  artistic  appreciation  which 
existed  here  in  Ceylon  between  two  and  three  thou- 
sand years  ago.  This  largest  temple  is  one  hundred 
and  eighty  feet  long,  eighty  wide,  and  twenty-five 
high,  a  gloomy  vault  at  best,  containing  a  gigantic 
recumbent  stone  statue  of  Buddha,  forty-seven  feet  in 
length,  the  head  resting  on  the  right  hand,  indicating 
repose,  one  of  the  favorite  positions  in  which  the 
prophet  is  usually  represented  in  the  temples  of  Cey- 
lon. The  chambers  or  halls,  which  are  hollowed  out 
of  the  rock,  are  reached  by  long  flights  of  stone  steps. 
Each  temple  is  most  grotesquely  painted  with  scenes 
supposed  to  represent  the  past  history  of  the  island. 
In  the  first  of  the  caves  is  the  immense  statue  already 


54  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

spoken  of.  In  the  others  are  those  of  ancient  kings 
in  heroic  size,  but  not  nearly  so  large  as  that  of 
Buddha.  On  the  several  walls  are  rudely-painted 
tournament  scenes,  elephant  hunts,  and  half-effaced 
battle  pictures.  Some  of  the  apartments  have  iron- 
grated  windows,  and  were  evidently  places  of  confine- 
ment for  political  prisoners,  some  time  in  the  far  past. 
An  old  Buddhist  priest  is  in  charge,  grumpy,  reti- 
cent, and  apparently  dissatisfied  with  himself  and  the 
world  generally.  In  the  first  and  largest  of  the  stone 
chambers  of  this  huge  rock  at  Dambula,  besides  the 
large  recumbent  figure  of  Buddha,  there  is  a  statue 
of  Vishnu,  held  especially  sacred,  and  before  which 
solemn  oaths  in  litigated  cases  were  administered, 
without  any  other  recourse  for  settlement.  This  was 
when  one  of  the  parties  agreed  to  abide  by  the 
solemn  oath  of  the  other,  to  be  given  in  specified 
form  before  this  statue  of  Vishnu.  It  is  a  rudely 
executed  figure  in  granite,  as  indeed  are  all  the 
statues  of  the  period.  In  the  second  chamber  or 
temple  there  are  half  a  hundred  statues  of  Buddha, 
besides  representatives  in  stone  of  various  heathen 
gods,  painted  in  yellow,  blue,  and  white  robes,  but 
why  the  multiplicity  of  Buddhas  it  would  be  difficult 
to  divine.  In  front  of  the  cave-temples  is  a  flourish- 
ing boo-tree,  and  a  small  grove  of  cocoanut  palms 
which  have  grown  to  a  great  size.  As  usual,  cen- 
turies of  age  are  claimed  for  the  first-named  tree. 
Round  about  the  plain,  among  the  rude,  wild  vegetable 


ANCIENT  CAVE-TEMPLES.  55 

growth,  a  peculiar  cactus  is  seen,  a  familiar  acquaint- 
ance, first  met  with  on  the  plains  of  Mexico.  Its 
thick  leaves  form  also  its  branches,  each  leaf  being 
attached  to  its  neighbor  endwise,  like  links  of  a  chain, 
and  being  bordered  by  a  bright  yellow  ruffle  of  pro- 
fuse blossoms.  These  cave-temples  of  Dambula  are 
cut  in  a  solitary  mass  of  rock,  rising  from  the  other- 
wise level  plain  to  about  five  hundred  feet  in  height 
and  four  times  that  in  length.  This  is  undoubtedly 
the  most  remarkable  group  of  cave-temples  upon  the 
island. 

One  is  vividly  reminded  by  these  peculiar  and 
enduring  structures  of  a  similar  famous  place  of 
Hindu  worship  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock  on  the 
island  of  Elephanta  in  the  outer  harbor  of  Bombay, 
and  also  of  those  found  at  Ellora  and  Carlee,  in 
India  proper.  These  three  Buddhist  temples  are 
known  to  have  been  in  existence  for  about  twenty 
centuries,  and  are  very  similar  in  design.  The  elabo- 
rate sculptures  in  bas-relief  which  decorate  them  are 
almost  identical  in  character,  but  they  have  little  or 
no  artistic  merit,  being  in  fact  as  crude  as  Chinese 
or  Japanese  idols,  mere  caricatures  as  seen  from  a 
modern  point  of  view,  and  yet  they  are  clearly  the 
result  of  a  distinctive  purpose.  As  to  depicting  the 
human  figure  with  any  regard  to  its  anatomy,  that 
was  not  understood  by  these  artists,  any  more  than 
are  the  laws  of  perspective  by  the  Chinese  or  Japan- 
ese of  to-day.  So  in  ancient  Egyptian  sculpture,  an 


56  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

approximation  to  the  true  outline  of  the  human  figure 
is  all  that  is  attempted.  The  stone  pillars  and  figures 
at  Elephanta,  so  venerable  from  age  and  association, 
were  nearly  destroyed  by  French  cannon-balls,  the 
guns  being  brought  on  shore  at  considerable  trouble, 
and  maliciously  directed,  for  this  purpose.  It  seemed 
to  be  a  fixed  principle  with  the  soldiers  of  the  first 
Napoleon  to  purloin  everything  of  value  which  was 
portable  in  the  countries  they  invaded,  and  what  they 
could  not  steal  and  carry  away,  with  true  barbaric 
instinct  they  destroyed.  Churches,  charitable  insti- 
tutions, hospitals,  were  all  alike  looted  by  these 
French  vandals.  Even  tombs  were  invaded  by  them 
in  their  rapacity,  as  at  Granada,  where  the  leaden 
coffins  in  the  royal  vaults  were  pried  open  with  bayo- 
nets in  search  of  treasures  supposed  to  have  been 
buried  with  the  bodies.  At  Seville,  they  broke  open 
the  coffin  of  Murillo,  wherein  finding  nothing  of  com- 
mercial value,  they  scattered  the  ashes  of  the  great 
master  in  art  to  the  wind.  It  will  also  be  remem- 
bered that  Marshal  Soult  —  to  his  lasting  disgrace 
be  it  recorded  —  treated  the  ashes  of  Cervantes  in  a 
similar  manner ;  a  most  petty  and  disgraceful  mean- 
ness for  a  marshal  of  France  to  be  guilty  of. 

The  Mahawanso,  "  Genealogy  of  the  Great,"  a 
native  chronicle,  contains  a  history  of  the  several 
dynasties  which  have  controlled  the  island  from  B.  c. 
543  down  to  A.  D.  1758.  This  unique  and  remark- 
able Singhalese  book  is  a  metrical  chronicle  written 


RECORDS  OF  CEYLON.  57 

in  Pali  verse,  and  forms  what  is  universally  received 
as  an  authentic  and  most  invaluable  record  of  the 
national  history  of  Ceylon.  A  scholarly  translation 
of  the  same  is  now  extant  in  English.  Pali,  as  the 
reader  doubtless  knows,  is  a  dead  language  founded 
upon  the  Sanscrit,  though  Buddhists  claim  that  it  is 
the  original  of  all  tongues.  This  is  an  assump- 
tion easily  disproved  by  Egyptian  inscriptions  dating 
back  over  six  thousand  years.  The  island,  under  its 
Sanskrit  name  of  Lanka,  is  also  the  subject  of  a 
mythical  poem  of  the  Hindus,  and  its  conquest  by 
Rama  is  the  theme  of  the  Ramayana,  doubtless  one 
of  the  most  ancient  epics  in  existence.  The  Maha- 
wanso,  though  the  oldest,  is  by  no  means  the  only 
Singhalese  chronicle  of  a  historic  character.  It  was 
designed  by  a  priest  named  Mahanamo,  who  compiled 
the  early  portion,  commencing  five  centuries  and  more 
before  Christ,  and  bringing  it  down  to  the  year  301 
of  our  era.  After  this  it  was  continued  by  able  suc- 
cessors, who  carried  on  the  original  plan  of  the 
beginner  to  the  period  when  the  English  took  forcible 
possession  of  Ceylon.  There  are  several  comprehen- 
sive manuscripts  devoted  to  native  history,  written 
upon  talipot  palm-leaf,  carefully  preserved  in  the 
museum  at  Colombo. 

Besides  these  important  records  there  is  abundant 
evidence  of  a  tangible  character  to  show  that  there 
once  existed  upon  this  island  a  great  and  powerful 
empire  in  a  condition  of  advanced  civilization.  The 


58  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

gigantic  remains  of  palaces  and  temples  tell  us  this. 
There  are  also  evidences  of  a  system  of  irrigation 
which  was  remarkably  perfect  in  conception  and  con- 
summation, though  it  must  have  been  achieved  by  the 
simplest  means,  that  is,  by  the  aid  of  no  mechanical 
facilities  such  as  we  possess.  This  system  covered 
the  face  of  the  country,  north  and  south,  like  a  net- 
work. Immense  lakes  were  formed  by  damming  the 
natural  outlets  of  the  mountain  streams  at  the  mouth 
of  extensive  valleys,  and  that  was  all  that  was  artifi- 
cial about  them.  Nature  had  prepared  the  way ;  still, 
the  amount  of  labor  involved  in  the  practical  appli- 
cation of  the  principle  was  enormous.  The  remains 
of  these  great  reservoirs  thus  created  are  objects  of 
admiration  to  our  modern  engineers,  not  only  for  the 
boldness  and  magnificence  of  their  construction,  but 
also  for  the  beneficence  of  their  purpose.  The  mar- 
velous ruins  of  these  reservoirs  are  the  proudest  and 
most  significant  monuments  which  remain  of  the 
former  greatness  of  this  country.  No  constructions 
for  a  similar  purpose  found  in  any  part  of  the  world 
have  ever  surpassed  them.  So  long  as  they  were  in 
repair  and  fully  operative,  the  people  of  Ceylon  had 
no  occasion  to  go  abroad  for  rice  upon  which  to  sub- 
sist. .The  grand  supply  of  water  for  the  distributing 
tanks  was  conducted  from  the  distant  mountains, 
through  dense  forests,  across  broad  ravines,  and 
around  the  sides  of  intervening  hills,  by  stout  chan- 
nel-ways miles  and  miles  in  length.  No  consid- 


ANCIENT  RUINS.  59 

erable  population  could  have  been  supported  in  a 
country  subject  to  prolonged  droughts  without  the 
aid  of  some  such  fertilizing  agency,  and  no  other 
system  would  have  been  so  well  adapted  to  the  rais- 
ing of  the  staple  grain  of  the  island.  Most  of  these 
artificial  lakes  are  now  in  ruins,  overgrown  with  jun- 
gle grass,  and  in  some  instances  by  heavy  forests. 

No  one  can  truly  say  what  caused  the  decadence 
of  the  several  ancient  capitals  now  lying  in  the  dust, 
leaving  only  a  blank  memorial  of  their  former  exist- 
ence. It  is  a  puzzling  question  as  to  what  could  have 
swept  a  population  of  millions  from  the  face  of  the 
globe  and  left  no  clearer  record  of  their  occupancy  and 
departure.  When  there  is  pointed  out  to  the  traveler 
in  Japan  a  location  where  a  big  and  populous  city 
once  stood,  but  which  is  now  only  a  series  of  thrifty 
grain-fields,  no  great  surprise  is  felt.  Japanese 
houses  are  only  constructed,  as  a  rule,  of  bamboo 
frames  with  tissue  coverings,  but  the  ruined  cities 
of  Ceylon  were  built  of  stone  and  brick,  presum- 
edly indestructible  except  by  some  great  and  general 
catastrophe.  The  ruins  of  Anuradhapura  show  that 
in  mediaeval  times  it  must  have  been  a  city  contain- 
ing a  vast  concourse  of  people.  We  know  that  it  was 
recognized  as  the  capital  of  Ceylon  from  three  to  four 
hundred  years  prior  to  the  birth  of  Christ  down  to 
the  year  770  of  the  present  era.  It  has  been  justly 
called  the  Palmyra  of  Ceylon,  and  was  contemporary 
with  Babylon  and  Nineveh.  It  was  a  royal  city, 


60  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

wherein  ninety  kings  reigned  in  succession,  and  its 
dimensions  exceeded  the  present  area  of  London. 
What  a  grand  and  imperial  metropolis  it  must  have 
been  in  its  pristine  glory  !  At  a  time  when  England 
was  still  in  a  condition  of  barbarism,  this  capital  of 
an  island  in  the  Indian  Ocean  was  at  the  zenith  of  its 
prosperity,  enjoying  luxuries  which  argued  a  high 
condition  of  civilization.  The  reason  for  selecting 
this  plain  in  the  heart  of  the  country  as  a  suitable 
location  for  its  capital  is  not  obvious,  except  that 
from  the  earliest  ages  the  spot  has  been  sacred  to  the 
votaries  of  Buddha.  Its  site  is  near  the  centre  of 
the  great  plain  which  occupies  the  northern  portion 
of  the  island,  about  one  hundred  miles  from  Kandy, 
and  three  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

Here,  amid  tall  trees  and  thick  undergrowth,  are 
scattered  hundreds,  nay,  thousands  of  stone  columns, 
huge  monoliths,  granite  statues,  fragments  of  grand 
palaces,  and  elaborate  public  buildings,  which  once 
adorned  broad  and  level  thoroughfares,  while  the  sur- 
rounding country  exhibited  a  wide  expanse  of  rice- 
fields  irrigated  by  numberless  canals,  together  with 
all  the  beauty  of  cultivated  tropical  vegetation.  The 
early  chronicles  tell  us  of  the  surprising  loveliness  of 
this  region  round  about  the  ancient  metropolis,  the 
brilliancy  of  its  native  jewels,  the  fertility  of  its  care- 
fully nurtured  soil,  its  magnificent  palms,  the  abun- 
dance of  its  fruits,  the  sagacity  of  its  elephants,  and 
the  constant  fragrance  of  its  spice-laden  atmosphere. 


AN  ANCIENT  FORTIFICATION.  61 

Anuradliapura !  how  little  we  of  the  nineteenth 
century  have  even  heard  of  its  people,  who  built  tem- 
ples of  stone  and  palaces  of  marble,  —  a  nation  which 
lived  for  twenty  centuries  in  oriental  splendor ;  a  city 
which  was  rich,  populous,  and  famous,  long  before 
Rome  had  risen  to  power ;  a  capital  which  achieved 
such  ambitious  architectural  results  only  to  sink  at 
last  suddenly  and  mysteriously  into  oblivion.  What 
the  possible  purpose  could  have  been  in  creating  such 
a  singular  page  in  the  annals  of  history  as  the  build- 
ing and  peopling  of  a  giant  metropolis  on  this  Indian 
island,  whose  accomplished  mission  illustrates  only 
the  mutability  of  all  terrestrial  things,  only  that 
inscrutable  Wisdom  which  rules  the  universe  can 
answer. 

Except  the  mountain  range  which  so  nearly  di- 
vides the  island  at  its  centre,  and  the  spurs  which  it 
throws  out  at  intervals,  there  are  few  elevations 
worthy  of  notice  in  Ceylon.  One,  known  as  Mihin- 
tale,  about  a  thousand  feet  in  height,  dominates  the 
ruins  of  the  ancient  city  just  described,  and  is  so  per- 
pendicular that  to  reach  its  summit  one  must  avail 
himself  of  the  artificial  steps  cut  in  the  solid  rock. 
These  stones,  smoothed  and  indented  by  centuries  of 
use,  are  said  to  have  been  thus  worn  by  thousands 
and  thousands  of  pilgrims,  who  ascended  to  the 
shrine  above  upon  their  knees.  This  notable  hill, 
which  almost  deserves  the  name  of  mountain,  was 
fortified  by  the  aborigines  in  the  olden  time,  as 


62  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

shown  by  irregular  lines  of  defensive  works  in  stone, 
whose  dismantled  and  disintegrated  condition  testi- 
fies to  their  antiquity.  On  the  summit  stands  a 
shrine,  showing  that  it  was  held  to  be  a  sacred  spot 
from  the  earliest  ages,  probably  long  before  the  date 
when  the  now  mouldering  capital  was  founded.  The 
view  afforded  on  either  hand  from  the  apex  of  the 
mount  embraces  the  far-away  ocean,  and  the  nearer 
sea  of  undulating  forests  and  groves  of  palms,  clad  in 
the  exquisite  verdure  of  the  tropics. 

Anuradhapura  was  the  largest  city  in  the  island, 
and  is  confidently  asserted  to  have  contained,  in  its 
prime,  three  million  people,  over  four  hundred  thou- 
sand of  whom  were  fighting-men.  But  there  were 
others,  considerable  in  size  and  importance,  which 
existed  during  the  period  of  its  prosperity.  The 
records  show  that  this  ancient  metropolis  was  fifty-two 
miles  in  circumference,  or  sixteen  miles  across  in  a 
straight  line  from  the  north  to  the  south  gate,  cover- 
ing two  hundred  and  fifty-six  square  miles  !  What 
have  we  in  modern  times  to  equal  these  ruins  in 
spaciousness  ?  Perhaps  some  deduction  should  be 
made  from  such  remarkable  figures.  Of  course,  the 
reader  will  understand  that  the  area  here  given  was 
not  actually  covered  by  solid  blocks  of  dwellings.  Pri- 
vate residences  were  generally  surrounded  by  small 
but  elaborate  gardens.  There  was  ample  air  space 
about  the  temples,  palaces,  and  public  buildings,  to- 
gether with  large  open  commons  for  military  parades, 


A   POPULOUS  ISLAND.  63 

for  public  baths,  for  elephant  fights,  for  political 
forums,  and  market-places.  Spaciousness  and  ele- 
gance were  the  characteristics  of  this  ancient  Singha- 
lese metropolis,  this  grand  city  of  the  plains,  where 
one  stands  to-day  surrounded  by  centuries  of  tangi- 
ble history.  The  eye  rests  upon  miles  and  miles  of 
broken  stone  statues  of  bulls,  elephants,  sarcophagi, 
and  heavy  capitals  of  granite  columns,  many  of  whose 
delicate,  artistic  capitals  and  designs  are  still  intact. 

All  oriental  narrative  is  tinctured  with  exaggera- 
tion, but  Sir  James  Emerson  Tennent,  so  long  offi- 
cially connected  with  the  island,  and  personally  famil- 
iar with  the  ruins  of  Anuradhapura,  says  no  one  who 
visits  the  place  to-day  can  doubt  that  Ceylon,  in  the 
zenith  of  its  prosperity,  contained  ten  times  its  pres- 
ent population;  and  as  he  wrote  this  in  1859,  when 
the  aggregate  was  about  one  million,  he  wished  to 
signify  that  the  number  of  inhabitants,  at  the  period 
to  which  he  referred,  was  probably  ten  millions. 
The  same  writer  tells  us  that  this  density  of  popula- 
tion must  have  been  preserved  through  many  centu- 
ries, in  spite  of  revolutions  and  invasions,  in  order  to 
produce  the  results,  the  ruins  of  which  are  still  visi- 
ble to  all  observers. 

That  the  people  of  Anuradhapura  were  early  and 
skillful  workers  in  brass,  iron,  and  glass,  articles 
unearthed  among  these  ruins  abundantly  testify. 
Further  explorations  and  excavations  will  doubtless 
result  in  valuable  information.  Five  or  six  feet  of 


64  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

earth,  upon  an  average,  must  be  removed  before  the 
process  of  uncovering  can  be  said  to  have  fairly  com- 
menced, so  that  the  prospective  labor  of  exhumation 
is  simply  immense.  Still,  almost  every  year  brings 
some  new  enthusiast  to  the  front,  whose  time  and 
money  are  freely  devoted  to  this  object  until  his 
ardor  is  appeased,  and  he  leaves  the  field  to  some  one 
else.  A  steadily  sustained  effort,  aided  and  directed 
by  the  government,  might  accomplish  something 
worth  recording,  but  such  desultory  and  spasmodic 
attempts  are  of  very  little  account.  At  Pompeii, 
where,  by  persistent  effort,  a  whole  city  has  been 
unearthed,  we  see  what  such  exhumation  signifies, 
though  the  circumstances  are  not  precisely  similar, 
the  one  having  been  suddenly  covered  by  an  eruption 
of  the  neighboring  volcano,  while  the  other  yielded 
to  the  wear  of  time  and  the  effect  of  foreign  inva- 
sions. A  score  of  cities,  however,  like  Pompeii 
would  not  cover  the  area  once  occupied  by  this 
vanished  metropolis. 

The  ancient  capital  was  named  in  honor  of  a  cer- 
tain prince,  Anuradha,  by  whom  it  was  founded 
twenty-five  centuries  ago.  A  thousand  years  since, 
this  city  was  still  populous,  gay,  and  beautiful,  with 
fragrant  gardens,  thriving  shops,  proud  dwellings, 
gilded  palaces,  lofty  temples,  religious  processions, 
and  frequent  displays  of  royal  pageants.  The  Sin- 
ghalese chronicles  are  full  of  references  to  agricul- 
tural prosperity,  to  ample  herds,  the  breeding  of 


MUTABILITY.  65 

cattle,  and  the  extensive  culture  of  grain.  They 
speak  of  women  who  were  treated  with  great  defer- 
ence, and  of  priestesses  and  queens  who  held  high 
places  with  honor.  Kich  furniture  was  used  in 
the  dwellings,  and  costly  textures  for  dress,  these  of 
course  imported  from  other  countries.  Though  the 
inhabitants  of  Anuradhapura  were  not  themselves  a 
maritime  people,  they  were  constantly  visited  by  oth- 
ers from  afar,  who  brought  with  them  rich  goods  to 
exchange  for  pearls  and  precious  stones.  We  know 
that  Ceylon  was  rich  in  these  at  that  period,  even  as 
she  is  at  the  present  time,  and  exported  peacocks, 
apes,  and  ivory.  In  the  ancient  Hebrew  records,  the 
names  of  these  were  the  same  as  those  known  at 
present  to  the  natives  in  this  island.  To-day,  muta- 
bility is  written  upon  its  scattered  and  neglected 
ruins  in  a  language  all  can  understand.  Who  can 
wonder  that  individuals  perish  and  are  forgotten, 
when  the  entire  population  of  a  great,  imperial  me- 
tropolis thus  vanish,  while  their  noblest  and  most 
enduring  works  crumble  into  dust  ?  The  significance 
of  such  instances  should  humble  the  proudest  mortal 
whe  walks  the  earth.  The  spot  where  the  Brazen 
Palace,  so-called,  once  stood  in  the  ancient  capital 
still  shows  scores  of  granite  columns  in  the  shape  of 
undressed  monoliths,  projecting  about  twelve  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  ground,  upon  some  of  which 
there  exist  the  remains  of  elaborate  capitals,  closely 
resembling  the  Grecian  Corinthian  order.  This  edi- 


66  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

fice,  dating  about  two  hundred  years  before  Christ, 
was  not  the  royal  residence,  but  a  palace  devoted  to 
accommodation  of  the  priesthood,  and  was  originally 
nine  stories  in  height,  covering  a  square  of  ground 
measuring  two  hundred  and  thirty  feet  each  way. 
"  The  roof,"  according  to  native  chronicles,  "  was  of 
brass,  and  its  great  hall,  which  was  supported  by 
golden  pillars,  also  contained  a  throne  of  solid  ivory," 
though  what  the  Buddhist  priesthood  required  of  a 
"  throne  "  we  are  not  informed. 

This  description  of  the  great  hall  with  its  golden 
pillars  sounds  perhaps  like  an  oriental  exaggeration, 
but  the  people  of  those  days  came  originally  from 
India,  where  such  examples  of  extravagance  were  by 
no  means  unknown  during  the  Mogul  dynasty.  The 
probability  is  that  the  Brazen  Palace  was  in  reality 
the  royal  residence.  Speaking  of  Indian  extrava- 
gance, we  all  remember  the  peacock  throne  of  the 
king  of  Delhi,  —  a  throne  of  solid  gold,  six  feet  long 
and  four  feet  broad,  surmounted  by  a  canopy  of  gold, 
and  supported  by  twelve  pillars  composed  of  the  same 
precious  material.  The  back  of  this  costly  structure 
was  made  to  represent  a  peacock  with  its  tail-feathers 
expanded,  hence  the  name.  The  natural  colors  of 
the  feathers  were  closely  imitated  with  rubies,  sap- 
phires, diamonds,  and  other  precious  stones.  The 
total  value  of  the  whole  exceeded  thirty  million  dol- 
lars. The  author  has  stood  within  this  royal  cham- 
ber at  Delhi,  but  the  gorgeous  throne  has  long  since 


A   CEYLON  DAGOBA.  67 

disappeared.  Enough,  however,  still  remains  to  show 
what  regal  splendor  must  have  existed  in  this  mar- 
velous palace.  These  Mogul  rulers  used  costly  gems, 
gold  and  silver,  together  with  precious  marbles  and 
rarest  stones,  as  freely  as  modern  potentates  employ 
granite,  combined  with  bricks  and  mortar.  The  wealth 
of  the  then  known  world  was  in  the  possession  of  a 
very  few  individuals,  and  the  poor  were  all  the  poorer 
in  comparison;  despotism  was  rampant,  and  royalty 
commanded  at  will  the  unpaid  services  of  the  million. 

Near  the  site  of  the  Brazen  Palace  of  Anuradha- 
pura  are  several  dagobas,  partially  hidden  by  rank 
tropical  verdure.  One  of  these  peculiar  structures 
was  originally  over  four  hundred  feet  in  height,  ante- 
dating the  Christian  era  by  many  years.  Does  the 
reader  realize  what  an  amount  of  solid  masonry  such 
a  structure  represents?  When  we  say  that  this 
dagoba  was  nearly  twice  the  height  of  Bunker  Hill 
Monument,  and  that  it  was  three  hundred  and  sixty 
feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  the  comparison  may  aid 
the  imagination.  Verily,  nothing  but  the  Egyptian 
pyramids  compare  in  magnitude  with  these  shrines  of 
Ceylon,  while  no  modern  engineering  enterprise  ex- 
cels in  immensity  the  artificial  lakes  which  were  cre- 
ated upon  her  surface.  One  writer  has  gone  into  a 
careful  calculation  regarding  the  structure,  and  says 
that  it  contained  material  enough  originally  to  build 
a  wall  ten  feet  high  from  London  to  Edinburgh. 

These  peculiarly  shaped  dagobas  are  scattered  all 


68  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

over  the  island,  each  being  the  receptacle  of  some 
saintly  relic.  Tradition  says  they  are  thus  formed  to 
resemble  a  bubble  floating  upon  the  water,  but  they 
are  really  bell-shaped,  and  most  of  them  have  a  low, 
ornamental  spire.  Near  the  summit  is  the  secret 
chamber  wherein  is  deposited  the  sacred  treasure. 
Time  effaces  all  mundane  things.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Temple  of  the  Tooth,  at  Kandy,  no  one 
can  say  what  special  relic  any  one  of  these  remark- 
able structures  was  originally  designed  to  shelter. 

Let  us  quote  for  the  reader's  edification  an  ancient 
native  description  of  this  famous  city  of  the  plain 
when  it  was  in  its  glory.  It  is  a  literal  translation 
from  the  original :  — 

"  The  magnificent  city  of  Anuradhapura  is  reful- 
gent from  the  numerous  temples  and  palaces  whose 
golden  pinnacles  glitter  in  the  sky.  The  sides  of 
its  streets  are  strewed  with  black  sand;  they  are 
spanned  with  arches  bearing  flags  of  gold  and  silver ; 
on  either  side  are  vessels  of  the  same  precious  metals, 
containing  flowers ;  and  in  niches  are  statues  holding 
lamps  of  great  value.  In  the  streets  are  multitudes 
of  people,  armed  with  bows  and  arrows ;  also  men 
powerful  as  gods,  who  with  their  huge  swords  could 
cut  asunder  a  tusk  elephant  at  one  blow.  Elephants, 
horses,  carts,  and  myriads  of  people  are  constantly 
passing  and  repassing.  There  are  jugglers,  dancers, 
and  musicians  of  various  nations,  whose  chank  shells 
and  other  musical  instruments  are  ornamented  with 


A  GORGEOUS  METROPOLIS.  69 

gold.  The  distance  from  the  principal  gate  to  the 
opposite  gate  is  four  gaws  (sixteen  miles) ;  and 
from  the  north  gate  to  the  south  gate  four  gaws. 
The  principal  streets  are  Moon  Street,  Great  King 
Street,  and  Great  Sandy  Street.  In  Chandrawakka- 
widiya  are  eleven  thousand  houses,  many  of  them 
being  two  stories  in  height;  the  smaller  streets  are 
innumerable.  The  palace  has  immense  ranges  of 
buildings,  some  of  two,  others  of  three  stories  in 
height ;  and  its  subterranean  apartments  are  of  great 
extent." 

Sir  J.  E.  Tennent  gathers  from  various  ancient 
sources,  including  the  veritable  Mahawanso,  that 
Anuradhapura,  between  four  and  five  centuries  before 
Christ,  contained  the  temples  of  various  religions,  — 
"  temples  and  palaces  whose  golden  pinnacles  glittered 
in  the  sky," -— besides  spacious  public  gardens  and 
free  baths,  together  with  almshouses  and  hospitals,  in 
which  animals  as  well  as  human  beings  were  ten- 
derly cared  for. 

One  king  gave  the  "  corn  of  a  thousand  fields  "  for 
the  support  of  the  hospitals,  another  set  aside  a  certain 
quantity  of  rice  to  feed  the  squirrels  which  frequented 
the  city  gardens,  while  a  third  monarch  displayed  his 
skill  in  treating  the  diseases  of  elephants,  horses,  and 
domestic  cattle.  The  streets  were  lined  with  grand 
shops  and  bazaars.  On  festive  occasions,  barbers  and 
dressers  were  stationed  at  each  entrance  to  the  capital 
for  the  convenience  of  strangers  who  visited  the  city. 


70  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

Public  officials  vied  with  each  other  in  their  patriotic 
deeds  designed  for  the  public  good. 

In  one  corner  of  the  widespread  ruins  of  Anura- 
dhapura  there  is  now  a  small  village,  with  a  Christian 
mission  and  school  for  the  native  children.  There 
are  also  a  few  bazaars,  a  post-office,  telegraph  station, 
and  a  court  house,  which  serve,  by  affording  a  strong 
contrast  to  the  former  splendor  which  reigned  here, 
to  emphasize  the  historic  grandeur  of  the  defunct 
capital. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Oriental  Dagobas.  —  Ancient  City  of  Pollonarua.  —  Laid  out  like  our 
Modern  Capitals.  —  Unexplored  Ruins.  —  Elaborate  Stone  Carvings. 
—  Colossal  Stone  Figure.  —  The  "  Buried  Cities."  —  The  Singhalese 
not  a  Progressive  People.  —  Modern  History  of  Ceylon.  —  Captured 
by  the  English.  —  The  "Resplendent  Island."  — Commercial  Pros- 
perity. —  Increasing  Foreign  Population.  —  Under  English  Rule.  — 
Native  Soldiers.  —  Christian  Sects  and  Churches.  —  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  —  Expulsion  of  the  Jesuits. 

THE  very  interesting  and  in  many  respects  unique 
ruins  of  Aimradhapura,  like  those  pertaining  to  the 
city  of  Pollonarua,  with  its  curious  and  enormous 
mass  of  crumbling  brick-work  in  the  shape  of  a 
dagoba  surmounted  by  a  temple,  are  supposed  to  have 
been  thus  mouldering  in  the  dust  for  more  than  six 
centuries.  These  dagobas,  doting  with  age,  as  we 
have  shown,  are  relic  shrines,  like  in  purpose  to 
the  pagodas  of  Burmah,  which  they  somewhat  resem- 
ble. Their  substantial  outside  finish  must  have  given 
them  very  much  the  appearance  of  being  built  of 
pure  white  marble.  In  dimensions  they  are  ex- 
ceeded only  by  the  pyramids  of  Ghizeh,  but  there  is 
no  genius  or  architectural  excellence  evinced  in  the 
construction  of  either.  Judged  by  the  light  of  our 
day,  there  is  no  legitimate  reason  for  their  existence. 
Eeligious  fanaticism  gave  birth  to  one,  and  personal 
pride  to  the  other.  They  neither  subserve  the  pur- 


72  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

pose  of  utility  nor  of  beauty.  As  monuments  of  per- 
sonal aggrandizement,  or  as  individual  memorials, 
what  total  failures  they  have  proved !  Think  for  a 
single  moment  of  the  vast  contrast  between  either  of 
the  Egyptian  pyramids,  or  these  bell-shaped  dagobas, 
with  their  plain  stuccoed  coverings,  and  that  modern 
shrine  and  tomb  combined,  —  the  Taj  Mahal  of  Agra. 
The  pyramids  and  dagobas  are  crude,  barbaric  em- 
bodiments of  bulk  and  imposing  loftiness ;  the  other 
is  a  realization  in  marble  of  a  poetic  dream.  The 
former  are  remarkable  only  for  magnitude  ;  the  latter, 
for  its  exquisite  grace. 

There  is  sufficient  evidence  still  left  us  to  show 
that  the  olden  city  of  Pollonarua  was  laid  out  in  a 
perfectly  systematic  way,  and  built  up  in  the  most 
regular  manner.  Its  founders  evidently  started  with 
a  well-perfected  purpose.  It  was  not  a  chance  set- 
tlement of  a  few  cabins,  which  gradually  increased 
hither  and  thither  in  various  directions  until  it  as- 
sumed the  proportions  of  a  metropolis.  Notwith- 
standing the  present  confusion,  the  general  features 
of  its  topography  are  clearly  discernible  amid  the 
mounds  of  mouldering  material.  The  main  street 
from  the  principal  entrance-gate  continued  perfectly 
straight  for  four  miles  between  royal  palms  to  the 
opposite  extreme  of  the  city,  crossed  at  right  angles 
in  the  centre  by  a  similar  thoroughfare,  thus  forming 
two  main  streets,  which  terminated  at  four  great  gates 
of  entrance  and  exit  to  and  from  the  town,  —  north, 


POLLONARUA.  73 

east,  south,  and  west.  From  these  main  streets  ra- 
diated lateral  and  smaller  roadways,  evidently  oc- 
cupied by  humbler  dwellings,  together  with  an  occa- 
sional temple  or  other  public  building.  The  ruins 
of  what  is  known  as  the  Treasure  House  of  Pollona- 
rua  are  unusually  interesting,  as  exhibiting  some  of 
the  finest  and  best  preserved  bas-reliefs  to  be  found 
in  Ceylon,  and  as  showing  also  certain  marked  pe- 
culiarities of  skill  in  architecture  which  prevailed  in 
pre-Christian  times.  On  either  side  of  the  principal 
thoroughfares  of  the  city  were  handsome  and  sub- 
stantial dwellings,  palaces,  and  sacred  temples.  The 
latter,  with  their  gorgeous  gilded  domes,  were  dedi- 
cated to  various  pagan  gods.  Other  spacious  build- 
ings and  open  areas  were  devoted  to  pleasure  enter- 
tainments for  the  masses  of  the  people,  not  unlike 
the  modern  idea  of  public  gardens  and  outdoor 
theatres. 

Here  and  there  labyrinths  of  unexplored  ruins  are 
entirely  hidden  by  lofty,  broad-limbed  trees  and  a 
tangle  of  low,  dense  shrub,  as  though  the  big  city  had 
been  originally  built  in  a  forest.  We  pause,  and 
gaze  thoughtfully  at  the  desolation  which  speaks  so 
emphatically  in  its  dumb  way.  It  is  the  language  in 
which  the  decline  and  fall  of  great  empires  is  written, 
—  monuments  of  mutability. 

"  Tully  was  not  so  eloquent  as  thee, 
Thou  nameless  column  with  the  buried  base." 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  learned  European 


74  THE  PEARL  OF  INDIA. 

antiquarians  make  pilgrimages  hither  to  see  with  their 
own  eyes  what  others  have  graphically  described,  and 
to  translate  for  themselves  these  black-letter  records 
of  by-gone  ages.  We  met  at  Pollonarua  one  enthu- 
siastic traveler  who  had  neither  eyes  nor  ears  for 
anything  else  but  that  which  related  to  the  almost  for- 
gotten past.  The  mouldering  ruins  of  Ceylon  were 
food  and  drink  to  him,  with  which  he  gorged  himself 
to  repletion.  Each  new  student  of  antiquity  who 
comes  hither,  being  informed  of  the  progress  of  those 
who  preceded  him,  takes  up  the  thread  of  discovery 
where  they  left  it,  and  adds  something  to  illumine  the 
darkness  which  enshrouds  these  sombre  ruins. 

It  could  not  always  have  been  peaceful  in  these 
populous  cities  of  the  past,  where  strange  gods  and 
strange  customs  prevailed.  The  imagination  easily 
depicts  dire  tragedies  and  bloody  conflicts  which  must 
have  drenched  their  broad  avenues  with  blood.  Such 
has  been  the  history  of  the  world  since  the  beginning 
of  time. 

The  best-preserved  construction  amid  all  the  ruins 
is  a  Buddhist  rock-temple,  which,  having  been  hewn 
out  of  the  native  stone,  is  still  intact,  though  sup- 
posed to  date  back  three  hundred  years  before  our 
era.  It  is  only  a  small  chamber  about  twenty  feet 
square,  containing  an  altar  and  three  stone  figures  of 
Buddha  in  different  positions,  sitting,  reclining,  and 
standing.  The  entrance  to  the  chamber  is  an  arch- 
way ;  on  either  side,  inscriptions  are  engraven  in  the 


AT  BINTENNE.  75 

Pali  language,  but  these,  we  were  informed,  had  never 
been  translated.  The  native  rock,  from  which  the 
small  temple  is  cut,  rises  abruptly  from  the  level 
plain. 

Anuradhapura,  as  wonderful  in  its  way  as  Pompeii 
or  Herculaneum,  is  known  as  the  ancient  capital  of 
Ceylon,  and  Pollonarua  as  the  mediaeval,  but  even 
the  former  is  antedated  by  other  half-buried  cities  in 
the  island,  that  of  Bintenne,  for  instance,  which  ex- 
hibits ruins  of  great  interest  and  of  admitted  anti- 
quity. There  is  a  dagoba  here  which  is  spoken  of  by 
the  former  Dutch  occupants  of  the  island,  in  A.  D. 
1602,  as  being  still  in  good  preservation,  surmounted 
by  a  gilded  dome,  while  its  smooth,  white  exterior  was 
quite  unblemished.  The  wear  and  tear  of  the  centu- 
ries has  not  yet  obliterated  this  monument. 

These  dagobas,  shaped  like  half  an  eggshell,  are 
very  similar  to  the  topes  of  India  proper.  The  inte- 
rior consists  of  earth  and  sun-dried  clay,  built  about 
and  rendered  substantial  with  burned  bricks  and  tiles, 
the  whole  being  coated  on  the  exterior  with  a  stone- 
like  mortar  or  chunam.  The  burned  bricks  which 
are  found  in  the  debris  of  the  "  buried  cities  "  have 
their  form  quite  perfect,  and  were  so  well  fired  when 
made  that  they  still  retain  their  sharpness  and  consis- 
tency. The  best  examples  of  brick-work  are  to  be 
found  among  the  ruins  of  Pollonarua,  where  the  mor- 
tar that  was  originally  used  shows  the  remains  of  the 
burned  pearl-oyster  shells  from  which  it  was  made. 


76  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

The  principle  of  the  true  arch  secured  by  its  key- 
stone does  not  seem  to  have  been  understood  by  the 
people  of  that  period  in  this  island,  though  what  is 
called  the  false  arch,  produced  by  projecting  one  layer 
of  bricks  beyond  another,  is  clearly  shown.  The  carv- 
ing in  stone  was  carried  to  a  high  degree  of  excel- 
lence, and  is  still  in  good  preservation,  as  shown  upon 
slabs,  risers  to  steps,  and  on  octangular  columns  of 
graceful  proportions.  The  entrance  to  some  of  the 
cave-temples  also  exhibits  ability  in  the  carving  of 
stone  which  is  of  no  mean  quality,  depicting  innu- 
merable single  figures  and  many  groups.  None  of  the 
Indian  topes  are  more  than  half  as  large  as  these 
Ceylon  dagobas.  The  latter  were  solid,  hemispherical 
masses,  standing  upon  a  raised  square  platform  of 
granite  six  or  eight  feet  high,  and  approached  by 
broad  stone  steps.  The  incrustation  of  the  dome-like 
edifice  was  after  the  fashion  of  our  modern  stucco 
process,  except  that  it  was  very  much  more  thickly 
laid  on.  The  preparation  consisted  of  lime,  cocoanut 
water,  and  the  glutinous  juice  of  a  fruit  which  grows 
upon  the  paragaha-tree.  This  compound  was  pure 
white  when  dried  and  hardened,  receiving  a  polish 
like  glass,  and  was  remarkable  for  durability. 

We  were  told  of,  but  did  not  see,  carved  stone 
capitals  and  elaborately  draped  monoliths,  found 
among  the  ruins  of  Bintenne,  which  represented 
early  perfection  in  architecture  as  displayed  in  a 
region  now  indeed  barbaric,  but  where  a  civilization 


BY-GONE  AGES.  77 

flourished  in  the  far  past  in  all  the  pride  and  pomp 
of  oriental  grandeur.  To-day,  the  jackal  and  the 
panther,  unmolested  by  man,  prowl  about  the  spot  in 
search  of  prey. 

When  the  hosts  who  formed  the  population  of 
these  long-buried  cities  disappeared  we  may  not  know, 
nor  what  fate  befell  them.  There  are  many  intelli- 
gent theories  about  the  matter,  but  very  little  posi- 
tive evidence.  The  most  plausible  supposition  would 
seem  to  be  that  a  devastating  famine  must  have  been 
the  fatal  agent.  Most  of  the  works  which  these  peo- 
ple left  behind  them,  except  the  bell-shaped  and 
nearly  indestructible  dagobas,  are  now  covered  with 
rank  vegetation.  The  first  structure  of  this  character 
erected  at  Anuradhapura  is  still  extant,  and  is  be- 
lieved by  some  writers  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  archi- 
tectural monuments  in  India.  With  this  conclusion 
we  certainly  cannot  agree,  as  the  chronicles  tell  us 
it  was  raised  by  King  Tissa,  at  the  close  of  the  third 
century  before  Christ,  over  the  collar-bone  of  Buddha. 
The  author  has  seen  at  Benares  many  sacred  struc- 
tures, some  in  ruins,  which  are  much  more  ancient. 
After  all,  these  milestones  of  the  centuries  afford  us 
little  data  by  which  to  unravel  the  mysteries  of  the 
past  in  Ceylon.  They  are  only  isolated  mementos, 
forming  disjointed  links  in  the  chain  connecting  us 
with  by-gone  ages,  mute  but  eloquent  witnesses  of  a 
former  and  high  degree  of  civilization.  The  most 
erudite  antiquarian  finds  no  coherent  or  reliable  his- 


78  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

tory  in  such  crumbling  monuments ;  generalities  only 
can  be  deduced  from  them,  however  suggestive  and 
interesting  they  may  prove. 

Neither  the  ancient  nor  the  modern  Singhalese 
seem  to  have  had  any  distinctive  order  of  architec- 
ture, though  the  variety  which  they  adopted  was 
infinite.  Here,  among  these  half-defaced  ruins,  one 
detects  Egyptian,  Greek,  Koman,  and  Moorish  inspi- 
rations, calculated  to  puzzle  the  scientist  as  to  their 
probable  origin.  The  singular  conglomerates  of  our 
own  day  are  not  more  confusing  than  some  of  the 
best-preserved  specimens  to  be  found  in  these  ruined 
cities  of  ancient  Ceylon. 

Another  notable  object  of  antiquarian  interest  in 
the  island  is  recalled  in  this  connection.  It  is  that 
of  a  colossal,  upright  figure  of  Buddha,  a  figure  hewn 
out  of  the  solid  rock,  to  which  it  is  still  attached, 
though  it  is  statuesque  and  not  in  bas-relief,  the 
original  material  only  furnishing  its  support  at  the 
back.  This  rude  piece  of  sculpture  is  fifty  feet  in 
height  and  otherwise  duly  proportioned,  vividly 
recalling  the  mammoth  bronze  statue  of  Dai-Butsu 
at  Kamakura,  in  Japan,  which  is  nearly  sixty  feet  in 
height,  though  it  is  represented  in  a  sitting  position. 
Within  this  statue  fifty  people  can  stand  together, 
the  interior  being  fitted  like  a  chapel.  As  regards 
antiquity,  the  Japanese  figure  is  supposed  to  be  but 
six  centuries  in  age,  while  that  of  Ceylon  is  surely 
three  times  as  old,  and  probably  four.  The  great 


A    CAVE-TEMPLE.  79 

Singhalese  statue  is  now  in  the  jungle,  which  has 
grown  up  about  it  during  centuries  of  neglect,  near 
to  the  great  Tank  of  Kalawera.  The  surrounding 
rocks  were  in  ancient  days  turned  into  a  cave-temple 
with  infinite  labor,  by  hewing  and  excavating  them 
into  chambers  of  suitable  dimensions.  Without 
excellent  tools  of  steel  and  iron,  very  nearly  approach- 
ing in  efficiency  those  of  our  own  time,  this  could 
not  possibly  have  been  accomplished. 

The  carved  pillars,  fluted,  beveled,  and  spiral  col- 
umns, mounds  of  ruined  masonry,  crumbling  flights 
of  stone  steps,  ornamental  fragments  of  temples,  and 
granite  statues  skillfully  wrought  which  are  scattered 
in  all  directions  throughout  the  jungle,  in  some  in- 
stances overgrown  by  tall  trees,  attest  both  departed 
greatness  and  far-reaching  antiquity.  Broken  bricks, 
tiles,  and  sculpture  are  so  knit  together  by  snake-like 
tree-roots,  while  shaded  by  their  lofty  branches,  as  to 
form  one  solid  mass  for  hundreds  of  rods  together, 
dotted  here  and  there  by  simple  wild  flowers  which 
modestly  rear  their  delicate  petals  and  perfume  the 
air.  One  represents  the  tomb  of  decayed  magnifi- 
cence and  oriental  luxury,  the  other  is  the  sweet 
and  simple  emblem  of  Nature  undefiled.  Thus  she 
covers  up  the  wrinkles  of  age  with  blooming  vege- 
tation, screening  the  mouldering  architecture  of  a 
forgotten  race  beneath  fresh  arboreal  and  floral  beau- 
ties. There  still  remain,  though  partially  buried 
beneath  the  earth,  the  suggestive  memorials  of  a 


80  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

prosperous  and  energetic  people,  who  were  once  the 
possessors  of  this  beautiful  Indian  isle.  These  decay- 
ing monuments  are  at  the  same  time  indisputable  evi- 
dence of  the  high  civilization  which  once  existed  here, 
and  also,  sad  to  realize,  of  the  deterioration  of  the 
Singhalese  as  a  people.  However  gradual  may  have 
been  the  decadence  of  the  race  from  the  proud  condi- 
tion of  their  ancestors  who  built  the  "  buried  cities," 
the  contrast  is  so  strong  to-day  as  to  seem  singularly 
abrupt,  notwithstanding  the  intervening  centuries. 

Fifty  years  ago,  it  was  only  at  the  risk  of  one's  life 
that  these  famous  ruins  of  Ceylon  could  be  reached. 
Such  expeditions  were  not  even  attempted  without  a 
strong  escort  and  governmental  aid.  Hostile  native 
tribes  and  equally  fatal  malarial  influences,  together 
with  almost  impassable  forests  and  unbridged  rivers, 
were  all  arrayed  against  the  curious  visitor.  This  is 
now  changed  so  that  enterprising  travelers  can  with 
but  little  trouble  enjoy  a  view  of  some  of  the  most 
extraordinary  monuments  to  be  found  in  the  East, 
and  which  are  of  much  more  than  ordinary  archseo- 
logic  and  artistic  interest. 

In  this  neighborhood,  at  Yigitapora,  are  the  ruins 
of  a  city,  once  a  royal  residence,  which  is  more 
ancient  than  Anuradhapura.  This  place  was  a  popu- 
lous centre  five  hundred  years  before  the  Christian 
era,  of  which  there  seems  to  be  little  if  any  record 
preserved,  even  in  the  comprehensive  pages  of  that 
national  text-book,  the  Mahawanso. 


NATIVE  OFFICIALS.  81 

The  native  tribes  of  Ceylon  cannot  be  said  to  form 
a  progressive  race,  even  under  the  advantages  which 
modern  civilization  affords  them.  Their  present  con- 
dition is  one  of  dormancy.  Those  who  form  the 
rising  generation,  after  enjoying  school  advantages  to 
a  certain  degree,  on  arriving  at  the  age  of  responsi- 
bility lapse,  with  some  exceptions,  into  the  condition 
of  their  parents.  Thus  many  of  our  Western  Indians, 
who  in  youth  have  been  educated  in  schools  presided 
over  by  the  whites,  return  finally  to  their  native  sur- 
roundings, promptly  adopting  from  choice  the  bar- 
baric methods  and  rude  life  of  their  roaming  tribes. 
There  is  a  certain  wild  instinct  which  it  seems  almost 
impossible  to  eradicate.  A  few  native  Singhalese 
have  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunities  freely 
extended  to  them,  and  have  risen  to  position  and 
influence  both  with  their  own  race  and  the  European 
population.  There  are  also  descendants  of  English 
fathers  and  native  mothers,  who,  after  enjoying  spe- 
cial advantages,  have  developed  into  intelligent  man- 
hood, and  who  form  a  recognized  element  of  the 
community.  A  native  Singhalese  is,  or  was  very 
lately,  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  Ceylon,  while 
the  offices  of  attorney-general  and  government  soli- 
citor were,  and  we  believe  still  are,  filled  by  natives. 
Others  of  the  same  race  are  respected  as  county 
judges,  magistrates,  and  leading  barristers. 

So  far  as  current  history  can  be  relied  upon,  we 
find  that  Ceylon  was,  from  five  hundred  years  and 


82  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

more  before  the  Christian  era  up  to  the  time  of 
its  annexation  to  Great  Britain,  the  almost  constant 
victim  of  foreign  and  civil  wars.  Indeed,  this  seems 
to  have  been  the  chronic  condition  of  .the  world  at 
that  period.  The  Portuguese  first  and  the  Dutch 
afterward  took  possession  of  the  island,  the  latter 
being  finally  expelled  by  the  English,  who  promptly 
fortified  and  have  held  it  ever  since. 

The  rapacity,  bigotry,  and  cruelty  which  charac- 
terized the  rule  of  the  Portuguese  in  Ceylon  forms 
one  of  the  darkest  pages  in  the  history  of  European 
colonization.  An  eminent  writer  upon  the  period 
says  very  tersely  and  truly  that  these  people  first 
appeared  in  the  Indian  Ocean  in  the  threefold  char- 
acter of  merchants,  missionaries,  and  pirates,  more 
fully  illustrating  the  last  named  than  the  other  two 
occupations.  No  other  nation  save  Spain  has  written 
its  autobiography  in  such  glaring  letters  of  blood. 

When  Ceylon  was  first  acquired  by  the  English,  it 
was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  East  India  Company, 
being  so  intimately  connected  with  India  proper,  of 
which  that  organization  held  control.  In  1798,  how- 
ever, it  became  a  possession  of  the  English  crown, 
and  was  confirmed  to  Great  Britain  by  the  Treaty  of 
Amiens.  The  dominion  of  the  Portuguese  and  the 
Dutch  lasted  for  nearly  the  same  length  of  time,  each 
holding  the  island  for  about  one  hundred  and  forty 
years,  both  periods  being  characterized  by  innumer- 
able conflicts  with  the  natives  and  with  foreign  in- 


A    COVETED  POSSESSION.  83 

vaders.  The  Portuguese,  and  especially  the  Dutch, 
left  lasting  memorials  of  their  occupancy  in  the  form 
of  fortifications,  churches,  stone  dwellings,  and  the 
like,  which  were  so  well  built  as  to  be  still  ser- 
viceable. 

The  rich  pearl  fisheries,  and  the  native  product  of 
choice,  much  coveted  gems,  were  constant  allurements 
for  the  possession  of  the  "  resplendent  island,"  caus- 
ing the  surrounding  powers  to  regard  it  as  a  vast 
treasure  house,  upon  whose  possessors  they  cast  en- 
vious eyes.  On  taking  the  island,  as  already  inti- 
mated, England  adopted  prompt  and  efficient  meas- 
ures to  fortify  her  possession  in  such  a  manner  that 
no  one  has  since  cared  to  dispute  her  claim.  In 
such  matters  the  English  have  always  pursued  an 
omnivorous  policy.  No  spot  of  land  seems  too  small 
or  too  insignificant  to  tempt  their  cupidity,  and  none 
too  large  for  their  capacious  maw,  —  India,  for  ex- 
ample. 

As  in  the  instance  of  Malta,  also  under  British 
rule  for  so  many  years,  Ceylon  has  thriven  and  pros- 
pered wonderfully,  that  is  to  say  in  a  commercial 
point  of  view,  which  after  all  is  the  conventional  test. 
Would  that  the  same  commendation  might  apply  to 
the  moral  and  educational  condition  of  the  Sin- 
ghalese !  However,  where  peace  and  plenty,  together 
with  seeming  content,  prevail,  let  us  not  seek  for 
hidden  troubles.  The  island  is  to-day  indisputably 
a  most  flourishing  agricultural  colony,  self-supporting, 


84  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

except  as  regards  the  military  establishment  main- 
tained by  the  home  government,  which  expense  is 
not  justly  chargeable  to  Ceylon,  whose  peaceable 
inhabitants  require  no  military  force  to  keep  them 
in  subjection.  The  simplest  police  organization  ac- 
complishes this,  though  in  former  times,  under  insuf- 
ferable tyranny  of  petty  princes  and  foreign  invaders, 
the  Singhalese  proved  that  they  could  fight  for,  and 
hold  their  own  against  considerable  odds.  Unless 
outrageously  oppressed,  they  are  of  too  peaceable  a 
nature  to  arouse  themselves  to  open  rebellion. 

A  simple  glance  at  the  situation  shows  great  prog- 
ress throughout  the  island  since  it  came  into  the 
possession  of  Great  Britain.  Barbarous  habits  and 
institutions  have  been  gradually  reformed ;  taxes 
which  were  formerly  exhaustive  have  been  greatly 
modified,  and  in  many  instances  entirely  removed; 
from  a  condition  of  slavery,  the  masses  have  been 
made  free,  now  enjoying  entire  personal  liberty ;  the 
districts  of  the  interior,  heretofore  inaccessible,  have 
been  open  to  easy  and  safe  travel ;  compulsory  labor 
has  been  abolished;  education  has  been  brought 
within  the  reach  of  all;  large  sections  of  territory 
have  been  drained,  and  brought  from  an  unhealthy 
condition  to  one  of  comparative  salubrity ;  mild  and 
just  laws  are  in  operation;  civil  wars  and  foreign 
invasions  have  ceased,  and  a  peaceful  condition  of 
every-day  life  is  established.  Such  are  some  of  the 
great  improvements  which  have  accrued  under  Eng- 


LOCAL  PROGRESS.  85 

lish  rule.  This  statement  is  made  as  a  simple  matter 
of  fact,  not  as  an  argument  that  England  has  a  legiti- 
mate right  on  the  island,  any  more  than  she  has  in 
India.  But  the  prosperity  of  the  Singhalese  is  no 
less  a  fact,  and  very  pleasant  to  record. 

The  population  of  the  island  has  more  than 
doubled  under  the  present  dynasty,  while  its  market- 
able products  have  quadrupled.  A  few  pertinent 
facts  occur  to  us  in  this  connection  which  must  surely 
interest  the  general  reader. 

There  are  now  about  three  hundred  miles  of  rail- 
way in  operation  on  the  island,  and  nearly  as  many 
more  projected.  To  supplement  this  means  of  trans- 
portation there  are  a  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles 
of  organized  canal  service,  a  legacy  inherited  from 
the  Dutch.  There  are  two  hundred  and  fifty  post- 
offices,  besides  forty  telegraphic  stations,  in  connection 
with  which  are  sixteen  hundred  miles  of  telegraphic 
wire  in  position.  In  this  march  of  progress  the  in- 
terests of  education  have  not  been  entirely  forgotten, 
and  upon  the  whole,  the  Singhalese  have  very  little 
to  complain  of  as  regards  the  government  under 
which  they  live.  Fate,  however,  has  decreed  that 
this  people,  as  a  nationality,  shall  gradually  pass 
away  and  be  forgotten,  like  other  aboriginal  races. 
The  Alaska  Indians  are  not  more  surely  dying  out 
than  are  these  Singhalese.  The  most  sensitive  matter 
with  them  and  with  nearly  all  orientals  is  touching 
the  sacredness  of  their  religious  rites.  With  these 


86  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

the  English  government  never  interferes,  neither 
here  nor  in  India  proper.  As  we  have  shown,  the 
orientals  are  a  peaceable  race,  and  will  submit  to 
a  considerable  degree  of  arbitrary  rule  touching 
their  political  relations,  but  the  moment  their  re- 
ligious convictions  and  ceremonies  are  interfered 
with,  they  become  frenzied. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  great  Indian 
mutiny,  which  occurred  in  1857,  was  at  first  incited 
in  the  ranks  of  the  natives  at  Cawnpore  and  elsewhere 
by  what  was  thought  to  be  an  intentional  insult  to 
their  religious  convictions. 

The  English,  soon  after  establishing  themselves  in 
Ceylon,  tried  the  experiment  of  forming  a  battalion 
of  infantry,  composed  of  the  natives.  When  being 
trained  to  service,  it  was  nearly  impossible,  we  are 
told,  to  teach  them  not  to  fire  away  their  ramrods  as 
the  real  missiles  of  destruction.  There  is  a  certain 
effeminacy  inherent  in  all  rice-eating  nations,  and 
yet  what  did  not  the  former  people  of  this  island 
achieve  in  the  building  of  great  cities,  grand  palaces, 
and  temples  of  stone?  It  would  almost  seem  as 
though  the  Singhalese  of  the  present  day  could  not 
belong  to  the  same  race  as  the  people  who  built 
Anuradhapura  before  Christ  was  born. 

Many  of  the  prominent  Christian  sects  have 
churches  and  missionary  establishments  in  the  island. 
It  has  long  been  a  popular  missionary  field  with 
several  denominations,  more  particularly  in  the  north- 


IDOLATRY.  87 

ern  part.  The  most  numerous  is  that  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  whose  leaders  began  their  system 
of  proselyting  the  natives  as  far  back  as  the  first 
establishment  of  the  Portuguese  in  Ceylon.  The 
faith  which  they  presented  addressed  itself  with  all 
its  theatrical  effect  to  the  fancy  of  the  ignorant  Sin- 
ghalese, especially  as  the  cunning  priests  took  good 
care  to  mingle  certain  local  Buddhistical  ceremonies 
with  those  which  they  introduced.  There  are  shrines 
and  temples  in  Ceylon,  in  what  are  called  Roman 
Catholic  districts,  where  the  images  of  Buddha  and 
the  Virgin  Mary  both  hold  honored  places.  Is  the 
worship  of  one  any  more  idolatrous  than  of  the  other  Wi 
It  has  been  well  said  that  the  idol  is  the  measure  of 
the  worshiper.  People  who  never  thought  for  them- 
selves were  thus  attracted.  They  formed  a  class 
whose  very  ignorance  made  them  easy  converts. 
Had  they  been  able  or  inclined  to  reason  upon  the 
subject,  it  would  not  have  been  permitted.  They 
had  to  swallow  the  creed  as  a  whole,  at  a  single  gulp, 
being  approached  with  the  sword  in  one  hand  and 
the  cross  in  the  other. 

Absolutism  in  faith  is  synonymous  with  ignorance. 
The  right  of  inquiry  is  the  privilege  of  every  human 
being,  though  it  is  denounced  as  heretical  by  the 
Romish  Church.  Only  falsehood  fears  investigation ; 
only  chicanery  dreads  the  light.  The  hateful  Inquisi- 
tion tried  to  carry  on  its  bloodthirsty  practices  here 
under  Portuguese  rule,  but  was  summarily  driven  out 


88  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

of  Ceylon  by  the  Dutch,  with  its  vile  nunneries  and 
its  instruments  of  torture.  So  the  French,  during 
their  brief  possession  of  the  island  of  Malta,  expelled 
a  similar  Jesuitical  crew  from  Valetta,  not,  however, 
before  they  had  recorded  their  diabolical  deeds  in 
letters  of  blood,  now  burning  a  "  heretic,"  and  now 
mangling  an  intractable  convert. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Food  of  the  People.  — Rice  Cultivation.  —  Vast  Artificial  Lakes.— 
The  Stone  Tanks  of  Aden.  —  Parched  Australia.  —  Coffee  Culture. 
—  Severe  Reverses  among  Planters.  —  Tea  Culture.  —  Cinchona 
Plantations.  —  Heavy  Exportation  of  Tea.  —  Cacao  Culture.  —  A 
Coffee  Plantation  described.  —  Domesticated  Snakes.  —  The  Cin- 
namon -  Tree.  —  Cinnamon  Gardens  a  Disappointment.  —  Pictur- 
esque Dwelling's.  —  Forest  Lands.  —  The  Ceylon  Jungle.  —  Native 
Cabinet  Woods.  —  Night  in  a  Tropical  Forest.  —  Rhododendrons. 

THE  principal  food  of  a  nation  is  a  most  important 
factor,  not  only  in  judging  of  its  means  of  support, 
but  also  as  regards  the  mental  and  physical  character 
of  the  people  themselves.  Rice  has  been  the  staple 
product  and  support  of  Ceylon,  as  it  has  been  of  the 
population  of  India  and  China,  from  time  immemorial. 
There  are  to-day  some  eight  hundred  thousand  acres 
of  land  devoted  to  the  raising  of  this  cereal  upon  the 
island;  there  should  be  twice  that  area  devoted  to 
the  purpose,  to  meet  the  imperative  wants  of  the  pres- 
ent population.  The  unsuitability  of  the  climate  for 
ripening  wheat  is  more  than  compensated  for  by  its 
prodigal  yield  of  rice,  producing  two  crops  annually, 
where  water  can  be  freely  obtained.  This  grain 
is  proven  by  scientific  experiment  to  contain  more 
of  the  several  essential  elements  for  support  of  the 
human  body  than  any  other  which  is  grown.  As  is 
well  known,  in  cultivating  rice,  it  requires  to  be 


90  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

flooded,  started  in  fact  under  water,  after  being  first 
planted,  and  also  to  be  more  than  once  submerged 
during  its  growth  and  ripening.  To  facilitate  the 
production  of  this  nutritious  grain,  the  great  tanks 
already  referred  to  were  originally  built,  in  which  to 
preserve,  for  periodical  use,  the  water  which  flows 
freely  enough  from  the  mountain  region  during  the 
rainy  season,  but  when  the  dry  period  sets  in,  the 
rivers  become  thread-like  streams,  fed  only  by  a  few 
inconsiderable  springs  which  exist  in  the  hills.  The 
oldest  of  these  immense  reservoirs  is  believed  to  date 
back  some  centuries  before  Christ's  appearance  upon 
earth,  evincing  by  their  construction  a  degree  of 
organized  thrift  and  effective  energy  hardly  equaled 
in  our  time. 

The  tanks  not  only  saved  the  precious  water  from 
running  to  waste,  but,  being  tapped  at  suitable  inter- 
vals, conducted  it  by  sluiceways  and  canals,  distribut- 
ing it  to  those  localities  where  it  was  needed,  and  at 
the  exact  time  when  it  was  wanted. 

The  chief  article  of  native  consumption  should  also 
be  one  of  export  from  a  country  so  admirably  adapted 
to  its  production.  -  This  is  not  now  the  case ;  indeed, 
it  is  and  has  long  been  one  of  the  principal  imports 
from  India  and  elsewhere.  It  is  estimated  that  every 
native  adult  who  can  get  it  consumes  a  bushel  of  rice 
each  month  in  the  year.  To  the  Singhalese  rice  is 
what  wheat  is  to  the  average  American,  namely,  the 
staff  of  life.  To  promote  its  cultivation,  the  English 


GREAT  RESERVOIRS.  91 

government  should  repair  the  neglected  tanks,  great 
and  small.  There  is  evidence  sufficient  to  prove 
that  Ceylon  raised  all  she  required  of  this  staple  for 
home  consumption  when  her  agricultural  masses  could 
get  the  necessary  water.  In  some  localities  where 
the  rain  is  plentiful,  the  rice  planter  is  dependent 
upon  the  natural  supply;  but  in  most  parts  of  the 
island  its  cultivation  is  not  even  attempted  unless  a 
certain  artificial  supply  of  water  is  first  secured  by 
means  of  canals  and  reservoirs,  it  being  quite  as 
necessary  as  the  very  seed  itself.  There  is  one  great 
advantage  which  the  planters  enjoy  in  Ceylon  over 
most  other  regions ;  that  is,  the  abundance  and  cheap- 
ness of  free  labor  obtainable  at  any  season  of  the  year. 
Coolies  by  the  thousand  are  always  ready  to  come 
hither  from  southern  India  at  the  harvest  time.  As 
many  come  regularly  as  can  get  employment. 

When  the  island  was  at  the  height  of  its  prosperity, 
there  were  in  its  various  parts  at  least  thirty  tanks  of 
enormous  proportions,  and  about  seven  hundred  of  all 
sizes.  In  the  nineteenth  century,  we  attain  the  object 
of  water  preserves  by  building  structures  of  granite, 
like  the  Croton  and  Cochituate  reservoirs  of  New  York 
and  Boston,  not  nearly  so  large  nor  any  more  efficient 
than  these  of  the  time  referred  to.  But  to  do  this  we 
have  all  the  appliances  of  powerful  machinery  and 
labor-saving  methods,  while  these  Herculean  results 
in  Ceylon  were  achieved  by  human  hands  alone. 
One  system  is  the  consummation  of  a  high  state 


92  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

of  civilization,  and  of  well-paid  skillful  industry ;  the 
other,  like  the  enduring  pyramids,  was  the  outcome 
of  a  barbaric  period,  and  of  forced  manual  labor. 
While  examining  one  of  the  vast  embankments, 
built,  like  all  others,  partly  of  stone  but  mainly  of 
earth,  to  securely  hold  the  artificial  lake,  the  author 
was  accompanied  by  an  intelligent  native,  who  was  a 
local  official  of  the  government.  It  was  natural  to 
remark  upon  the  achievement  of  so  great  a  work  by 
primitive  means.  "Yes,"  said  he,  "every  bushel  of 
earth  which  forms  this  broad  embankment,  extend- 
ing for  miles,  was  brought  by  the  single  basketful 
from  yonder  mountain  upon  the  heads  of  men  and 
women." 

The  remains  of  one  of  these  capacious  tanks  which 
stimulated  industry  and  insured  abundant  crops  in 
Ceylon  so  long  ago  is  to  be  seen  at  Kalawewa,  near 
Dambula,  already  spoken  of,  and  is  known  to  have 
been  built  fourteen  centuries  since.  It  was  origi- 
nally some  forty  miles  in  circumference,  covering 
seven  square  miles,  with  a  depth  of  twenty  feet  of 
water,  and  having  an  embankment  of  stone  twelve 
miles  long  laid  in  solid  tiers,  with  the  large  blocks 
ingeniously  secured  together.  These  tanks  are  found 
in  a  more  or  less  ruinous  condition  all  over  the  island, 
but  especially  at  the  north,  where  they  were  more  re- 
quired than  in  the  southern  portion.  The  conserving 
of  water  in  large  quantities  for  agricultural  and  other 
necessary  purposes  was  naturally  one  of  the  earliest 


ANCIENT   WATER   TANKS.  93 

developed  ideas  of  civilized  people.  Aden,  the  impor- 
tant peninsula  commanding  the  entrance  of  the  Red 
Sea,  now  held  and  fortified  by  England,  is  situated  in 
a  rainless  zone,  so  that  the  inhabitants  see  no  fall  of 
that  invaluable  element  sometimes  for  two  years  to- 
gether, though  when  it  does  visit  them  it  comes  in 
floods.  The  dependence  here  for  the  needed  supply  in 
the  dry  season  is  upon  enormous  tanks  hewn  out  of 
the  solid  rocks  with  infinite  labor,  and  connected  with 
each  other  by  a  well-devised  system.  These  tanks, 
being  cut  in  the  solid  rock,  as  we  have  said,  are  vir- 
tually indestructible,  and  form  the  means  of  supply 
for  the  inhabitants  to-day,  as  they  did  thousands  of 
years  ago.  The  great  antiquity  of  the  Aden  water 
reservoirs  renders  them  intensely  interesting,  since 
they  are  believed  to  be  as  old  as  the  most  ancient 
monuments  in  existence  raised  by  the  hand  of  man,  — 
not  excepting  those  of  Egypt. 

In  entering  the  harbor  of  Aden,  one  passes  through 
the  dangerous  Strait  of  Bab-el-Mandeb,  so  called  by  the 
Arabs,  and  signifying  the  "  Gate  of  Tears,"  because  it 
has  proved  so  fatal  to  human  life  and  to  commerce. 
The  author  well  remembers,  when  passing  this  fa- 
mous point,  seeing  the  tall  masts  of  a  big  European 
steamship  still  standing  above  the  water  of  the  strait. 
A  few  days  previously,  the  vessel  had  been  swept 
by  the  treacherous  currents  upon  some  of  the  many 
sunken  rocks,  and  had  instantly  gone  to  the  bottom 
with  all  her  crew  on  board. 


94  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

The  water  preserves  of  Ceylon  are  of  all  sizes,  from 
widespread  lakes  to  mere  ponds,  designed  to  irrigate 
circumscribed  districts.  There  was  a  time  when  each 
town  and  village,  at  least  all  that  lay  to  the  north  of 
the  mountain  range  which  divides  the  island,  had  its 
reservoir.  The  first  one  spoken  of  in  this  chapter  was 
built  by  King  Penduwasa,  and  was  restored  by  the 
English  so  late  as  1867.  It  covers  an  area  of  over 
three  thousand  acres,  and  is  of  inestimable  value  to 
the  agricultural  interests  of  the  district.  It  seems  that 
as  Egyptian  monarchs  were  wont  to  build  pyramids 
to  mark  the  glory  of  their  several  dynasties,  so  the 
Kandian  kings  and  earlier  rulers  of  Ceylon  each 
sought  to  excel  his  predecessor  by  constructing  larger 
tanks,  thus  elaborating  the  means  of  irrigation  and 
increasing  the  productiveness  of  the  island.  Sixteen 
of  these  useful  reservoirs  are  credited  to  one  of  the 
latest  kings  of  Kandy. 

Could  this  grand  and  effective  principle  of  irriga- 
tion be  applied  to  the  plains  of  Australia,  what  a 
blessing  it  might  prove.  The  oft-recurring  periods  of 
drought,  extending  from  Brisbane  in  the  north  to 
Adelaide  in  the  south,  are  now  a  fatal  blight  to  agri- 
cultural enterprise.  The  Murray  Eiver,  which  at  cer- 
tain seasons  of  the  year  is  navigable  for  nearly  or 
quite  one  thousand  miles,  now  runs  to  waste,  becom- 
ing a  mere  brook  half  the  year ;  and  sheep  and  cat- 
tle sometimes  die  of  thirst  by  thousands,  so  that  many 
wealthy  Englishmen  engaged  in  sheep-raising  have 


COFFEE   CULTURE.  95 

been  made  paupers  in  a  single  season.  It  only  needs 
the  construction  of  a  series  of  water-saving  tanks 
upon  the  course  of  the  Murray  to  successfully  water 
millions  of  acres  of  naturally  fertile  soil,  and  to  in- 
sure the  country  against  anything  like  a  water  famine 
when  the  dry  season  sets  in.  Why  the  people  who 
are  in  authority  ignore  such  simple  facts  is  a  stand- 
ing marvel. 

We  have  said  that  rice  was  the  staple  product  of 
the  island,  and  it  is  still  so ;  but  it  was  not  long  ago 
that  Ceylon  was  also  famous  for  the  amount  of  excel- 
lent coffee  which  it  produced  and  exported.  For  a 
while,  it  seemed  destined  to  rival  all  the  rest  of  the 
world  in  this  important  article.  Its  cultivation  was 
begun  here  upon  a  large  scale  in  1825,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Peradenia,  where  the  soil  and  climate  proved  to  be 
so  favorable  that  speculators  came  hither  in  large 
numbers  from  great  distances,  but  especially  from 
England,  to  establish  plantations,  though  the  coffee- 
tree  is  not  indigenous  to  Ceylon.  Thousands  of  acres 
of  forest  and  dense  jungle  were  cleared  and  burned 
over  in  the  neighborhood  of  Kandy  alone,  at  great 
expense  and  labor,  to  prepare  the  ground  for  coffee 
planting.  There  was  at  one  time  so  much  speculative 
energy  evinced  in  this  direction  that  nearly  every  lo- 
cal government  official  was  more  or  less  engaged  in 
it,  embarking  therein  all  the  money  which  he  pos- 
sessed or  which  he  could  borrow.  Well-engineered 
roads  were  opened  into  new  and  available  districts, 


96  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

while  numerous  substantial  bridges  were  erected  over 
previously  impassable  streams,  and  thriving  villages 
sprang  up  as  if  by  magic  amid  what  was  formerly 
wild  and  inaccessible  jungle.  In  the  course  of 
twenty  years,  the  product  had  risen  to  so  large  an 
aggregate  figure  as  to  astonish  the  commercial  world, 
and  the  price  of  the  berry  was  consequently  reduced 
in  all  the  markets  of  Europe.  Such  good  fortune, 
it  was  finally  discovered,  was  not  destined  to  fall 
unalloyed  to  the  share  of  the  Ceylon  planters. 

Some  sacrifice  must  attend  upon  all  such  enter- 
prises. In  clearing  the  forest  lands  for  coffee  plant- 
ing, a  most  reckless  waste  was  practiced  in  Ceylon. 
Magnificent  groves  of  valuable  wood  were  cut  down 
and  ruthlessly  burned  to  ashes,  among  which  were 
many  of  the  precious  cabinet  woods  so  highly  prized 
all  over  the  world.  Among  others  were  some  grand 
banian-trees,  as  we  were  told,  which  had  a  hundred 
great  stems  and  a  thousand  lesser  ones.  There  are 
not  many  such  trees  as  these  to  be  found  in  the  known 
world. 

It  is  but  a  few  years  since  that  a  nearly  simultane- 
ous blight  attacked  most  of  the  coffee  plantations  on 
the  island,  coming  in  the  form  of  a  strange  fungus, 
which  choked  the  breathing  pores  of  the  leaves, 
and  thus  rapidly  exhausted  the  trees.  The  Ceylon 
planters  were  struck  with  consternation  for  a  period ; 
years  of  uninterrupted  good  crops  had  filled  them 
with  confidence,  so  they  had  annually,  by  liberal  ex- 


TEA  AND  CINCHONA.  97 

penditure,  cleared  more  ground,  spreading  out  their 
plantations  in  all  directions.  Large  sums  of  money 
were  sent  out  from  England  by  individuals  desirous 
to  enter  into  so  promising  a  speculation,  and  the 
aggregate  sum  said  to  have  been  expended  in  this 
purpose  is  almost  incredible.  But  the  blight  proved 
to  be  of  the  most  serious  character,  and  was  so  whole- 
sale as  to  literally  impoverish  many  previously  rich 
agriculturists  who  had  embarked  their  all  in  the 
business.  The  island  is  very  rich  in  fungi,  and  this 
one  which  had  so  effectually  blighted  the  coffee  plants 
was  quite  new  to  science.  That  which  was  for  a  time 
so  serious  a  pecuniary  loss  to  this  island  proved  to  be 
of  great  commercial  advantage  to  Java  and  Brazil, 
whose  production  in  the  same  line  was  vastly  stimu- 
lated thereby,  while  the  coffee  which  they  sent  to 
market  realized  more  remunerative  prices  than  when 
brought  in  competition  with  that  of  Ceylon.  Since 
this  experience,  a  large  number  of  the  planters  have 
gradually  turned  their  attention  to  raising  tea,  to- 
gether with  the  production  of  quinine  from  the 
cinchona-tree,  and  so  far  as  could  be  learned,  they 
have  met  with  good  .pecuniary  success.  An  intelli- 
gent resident  of  Colombo  estimates  that  there  are 
fifty  thousand  acres  of  the  last-named  tree  under 
profitable  cultivation  at  the  present  tune.  It  is  found 
that  cinchona  will  thrive  in  the  mountain  districts, 
considerably  above  the  height  at  which  coffee  ceases 
to  be  advantageously  cultivated,  while,  unlike  tea  or 


98  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

coffee,  it  requires  no  special  care  after  it  has  been 
once  fairly  started.  The  production  of  quinine,  which 
has  now  reached  mammoth  proportions,  hardly  keeps 
pace  with  the  growing  consumption  of  the  drug  by 
the  world  at  large.  There  was  over  one  million 
dollars'  worth  of  cinchona  bark  exported  in  1892 
from  Colombo. 

The  export  of  tea  in  1890  rose  to  the  considerable 
amount  of  forty-seven  million  pounds,  which  aggre- 
gate we  have  evidence  to  show  has  been  since  in- 
creased annually.  The  commercial  importance  of 
Ceylon  may  be  said  to  rest  at  the  present  time 
mainly  upon  the  raising  of  tea.  The  yield  per  acre 
is  considerably  larger  than  it  is  in  India,  while  the 
access  to  market  is  much  better  than  it  is  at  Assam 
or  Cachar.  The  Ceylon  product  is  shipped  in  its 
natural  condition,  that  is  to  say,  it  is  pure,  while 
that  of  China  and  Japan  is  systematically  adulter- 
ated and  artificially  colored.  There  are  about  two 
thousand  plantations  upon  the  island  occupied  for  tea 
raising,  averaging  two  hundred  acres  each  of  rolling 
upland,  and  it  is  confidently  believed  here  that  China 
and  India  will  eventually  be  distanced  by  Ceylon  in 
the  matter  of  supplying  the  markets  of  the  world 
with  tea.  While  coffee  cannot  be  cultivated  success- 
fully much  higher  than  four  thousand  feet  above  sea 
level  in  this  island,  tea  thrives  at  almost  any  height 
in  this  latitude,  as  it  does  in  northern  India,  round 
about  Darjeeling.  The  only  fear  seems  now  to  be 


CULTIVATION  OF  CACAO.  99 

that  of  over-production.  The  last  year's  crop  was 
estimated  to  slightly  exceed  eighty  million  pounds, 
and  its  quality  was  so  satisfactory  as  to  command 
good  prices  and  a  quick  market. 

There  are  several  special  advantages  which  tea 
culture  possesses  over  that  of  coffee ;  one  is  the  ease 
with  which  the  tea  planter  can  get  rid  of  any  pest 
which  attacks  his  trees.  The  coffee  plant  gives,  as  a 
ride,  but  one  crop  annually,  the  blossom  season  being 
narrowed  to  four  or  five  weeks,  and  if  that  fails 
because  of  bugs  or  disease  of  any  sort,  the  year's 
labor  is  in  vain.  In  the  cultivation  of  tea,  there  is 
the  chance  of  plucking  leaves  nearly  every  month  of 
the  year.  If  an  emergency  arises,  the  planter  has 
only  to  clear  his  bushes  of  every  leaf  and,  gathering 
the  same,  burn  them.  The  insects  are  thus  totally 
destroyed,  while  the  bushes  are  sure  to  produce  a  new 
covering  of  verdure  in  a  few  weeks.  There  are  to- 
day nearly  three  hundred  thousand  acres  devoted  to 
tea  culture  in  Ceylon. 

The  planters  have  been  giving  attention  of  late 
years  to  the  raising  of  cacao,  the  chocolate  plant,  and 
some  large  plantations  have  proved  to  be  very  profit- 
able, the  demand  being  considerably  beyond  the  pres- 
ent supply.  The  article  produced  here  stands  as  the 
best  in  the  London  market,  and  commands  the  high- 
est price.  Over  twenty  thousand  hundredweight 
were  exported  from  Colombo  in  1892.  That  of  the 
year  just  past,  we  were  assured,  would  show  a  consid- 
erable increase  over  this  amount. 


100  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

Let  it  not  be  understood  that  coffee  is  no  longer 
raised  on  the  island.  The  fact  is  that  the  blight 
spoken  of  seems  to  have  in  a  considerable  degree  ex- 
hausted itself,  and  many  coffee  planters  are  again 
rejoicing  over  paying  crops,  as  abundantly  proven  by 
the  amount  of  the  berry  which  is  still  exported.  It 
may  be  almost  doubted  if  there  is  any  such  thing  as 
unmitigated  evil;  the  brief  though  serious  blight  of 
the  coffee  plant  in  Ceylon  has  proved  to  be  a  bless- 
ing in  disguise.  Finite  judgment  is  often  delusive. 
Joseph's  brethren,  who  sold  him  into  slavery,  meant 
it  unto  evil,  but  God  meant  it  unto  good.  The 
equity  of  Providence  has  framed  a  never-failing  law 
of  compensation,  though  we  may  not  always  possess 
sufficient  intelligence  to  see  its  application. 

A  coffee  plantation  is  a  charming  sight  at  each 
stage  of  the  ripening  process.  Its  dark  green  pol- 
ished leaves  are  beautiful  examples  of  tropical  foliage, 
and  the  white  blossoms  look  like  snowflakes  gathered 
in  clusters  about  the  tips  of  the  branches,  emitting  a 
perfume  not  so  pronounced  as,  and  yet  not  unlike,  that 
of  the  tuberose.  These  odorous  flowers  are  short- 
lived and  drop  to  the  ground  almost  as  quickly  as 
they  come,  being  followed  in  due  course  by  large 
crimson  berries,  quite  as  ornamental  as  the  flowers 
and  nearly  as  large  as  the  common  New  England 
cherry.  Within  the  pulp  the  double  seeds  are  rip- 
ened which  form  the  coffee  berry  of  commerce.  The 
view  of  a  thrifty  plantation  at  sunrise,  when  each 


A  RAT  CATCHER.  101 

spray  is  dripping  with  refreshing  dew  and  every  little 
branch  is  diamond-capped,  is  lovely  beyond  expression. 
A  surprise  awaited  us  on  one  occasion  while  visit- 
ing a  coffee  plantation  near  Kandy.  Seeing  a  snake 
over  four  feet  in  length  moving  along  unmolested  on 
the  path  in  front  of  the  bungalow  which  was  occupied 
by  the  planter's  family,  it  was  quite  impossible  to  sup- 
press an  exclamation.  Our  host  smiled  pleasantly 
as  he  explained  that  the  creature  was  not  only  tol- 
erated about  the  house,  but  that  it  was  a  pet!  It 
seems  that  these  reptiles  are  often  kept  to  kill  and 
drive  away  the  coffee-rats,  as  they  are  called,  a  cer- 
tain species  of  rodents  which  are  often  alarmingly 
abundant  on  these  estates,  and  terribly  destructive  to 
the  growing  crops.  They  are  twice  the  size  of  an  or- 
dinary rat,  such  as  is  common  with  us.  They  feed 
upon  birds,  blossoms,  and  ripe  berries  of  the  coffee 
to  an  unlimited  extent,  if  not  interfered  with.  The 
snake  is  their  natural  enemy,  and  is  more  destructive 
among  them  than  a  well-trained  domestic  cat  would 
be.  In  fact,  these  rats  would  be  more  than  a  match 
for  an  ordinary  cat.  So  the  fer-de-lance  is  a  great 
rat  destroyer  among  the  sugar  plantations  of  Marti- 
nique, a  snake  which  is  as  poisonous  as  the  cobra  of 
Ceylon.  Does  the  reader  remember  that  it  was  one 
of  this  species  of  West  Indian  serpents  which  bit 
Josephine,  the  future  empress  of  France,  when  she 
was  a  mere  child  in  her  island  home,  and  that  her 
faithful  negro  nurse  saved  the  child's  life  by  instantly 


102  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

drawing  the  poison  from  the  wound  with  her  own 
lips  ?  At  Para,  in  Brazil,  the  author  has  seen  young 
anacondas  six  and  eight  feet  long  also  kept  upon  the 
plantations  as  rat  catchers.  Any  of  these  serpents 
make  very  little  of  swallowing  a  rat  which  they  have 
themselves  caught,  but  they  promptly  refuse  such  as 
have  been  killed  by  a  trap  or  other  means.  The  Cey- 
lon cobra  cannot  cope  with  the  mongoose,  whose 
safety  in  a  conflict  with  this  reptile  lies  in  its  extraor- 
dinary activity.  The  mongoose  avoids  the  dash  of 
the  cobra  and  pins  it  by  the  back,  of  the  neck,  per- 
sistently maintaining  its  hold  there,  in  spite  of  the 
creature's  contortions,  until  it  succeeds  in  gnawing 
through  and  severing  the  spine. 

In  Ceylon,  ladies  sometimes  make  a  pet  of  the 
mongoose,  and  when  taken  young  and  reared  for  this 
purpose,  the  *soft  little  hairy  creature  becomes  as 
affectionate  and  lap-loving  as  the  most  tiny  dog, 
recognizing  its  mistress  above  all  other  persons,  and 
following  close  upon  her  footsteps.  It  looks  innocent 
enough,  but  the  cobra  instinctively  dreads  its  pres- 
ence, and  with  good  reason,  for  the  encounter  nine 
times  in  ten  costs  the  reptile  its  life.  The  natives 
say  that  when  a  continuous  fight  occurs  between  these 
creatures,  if  the  snake  succeeds  in  fixing  its  fangs  in 
the  body  of  the  mongoose,  the  latter  instantly  retires 
and  eats  of  some  plant  as  a  preventive  to  the  opera- 
tion of  the  poison,  and  presently  returns  to  renew  the 
conflict  until  it  finally  conquers.  Though  this  is  a 


CINNAMON-TREES.  103 

universally  believed   statement   among   the   common 
people,  we  do  not  give  it  the  least  credit. 

One  other  important  and  staple  product  of  the 
island  should  not  be  forgotten.  The  cinnamon-tree 
is  indigenous,  and  is  largely  cultivated  for  the  valua- 
ble bark  which  it  yields.  It  is  estimated  that  over 
twenty  thousand  acres  are  systematically  improved  in 
the  raising  of  cinnamon-trees,  a  very  ancient  as  well 
as  profitable  industry  in  Ceylon,  and  one  which  was 
held  as  a  monopoly  by  the  Dutch  government  for  a 
century  and  more.  The  monopoly  was  also  main- 
tained by  the  English,  after  they  assumed  control 
here,  but  this  most  unwarrantable  embargo  has  long 
since  been  abolished,  and  it  is  no  longer  a  restricted 
article.  The  tree  is  grown  from  the  seed,  begins 
to  yield  at  about  its  eighth  year,  and  continues  to  do 
so  for  a  century  or  more.  It  does  not  require  a  rich 
soil,  but  thrives  best  in  a  low,  sandy  plain.  A  soil  in 
which  scarcely  anything  else  will  grow  except  chance 
weeds  seems  quite  the  thing  for  cinnamon,  which, 
like  the  cocoanut  palm,  thrives  best  near  the  salt 
water.  In  its  natural  state,  it  grows  to  a  height  of 
thirty  feet ;  under  cultivation,  it  is  pruned  down  so 
as  to  remain  at  about  ten  feet  or  less.  It  is  of  the 
laurel  family,  but  is  as  hardy  as  the  long-lived  olive- 
tree.  The  author  has  seen  in  southern  Spain,  near 
Malaga,  orchards  of  the  latter  in  which  were  many 
trees  which  it  was  declared  were  several  centuries 
old,  their  gnarled  and  scraggy  appearance  certainly 
favoring  the  statement. 


104  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

The  cinnamon  gardens,  as  they  are  called,  are  gen- 
erally musical  with  the  cooing  of  turtle-doves,  whose 
plump  condition  is  owing  to  free  living  upon  the 
nutritious  purple  berries  of  the  spice-producing  tree. 
The  birds  are  not  interfered  with,  as  the  berries  have 
no  commercial  value,  and  it  should  be  remembered 
that  the  natives  do  not  kill  birds  or  animals  for  food. 
Sometimes  English  sportsmen  go  into  the  plantations 
and  get  a  bag  of  this  palatable  game,  though  it  seems 
cruel  to  shoot  such  delicate  and  pretty  creatures. 
Dove-pie,  however,  —  this  between  ourselves,  —  is 
by  no  means  to  be  despised,  especially  where,  as  in 
Ceylon,  beef  and  mutton  of  a  good  quality  are  so  rare. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  author's  first  visit  to  Co- 
lombo, the  Cinnamon  Gardens  in  the  immediate  sub- 
urbs were  much  lauded,  and  they  were  in  fact  one  of 
the  first  attractions  to  which  strangers  were  intro- 
duced. There  was  a  pleasant  promise  in  the  very 
name,  and  we  had  anticipated  something  not  only 
beautiful  to  behold,  but  which  would  prove  grateful 
to  all  the  senses.  Disappointment  was  inevitable. 
Finally,  when  we  reached  the  grounds,  it  seemed 
hardly  possible  that  the  broad  area  of  low,  scrubby 
jungle  and  thick  undergrowth  which  bore  this  attrac- 
tive name  could  really  be  the  Cinnamon  Gardens  of 
which  so  much  poetical  fiction  has  been  written.  It 
seems  rather  an  anomaly,  but  the  fact  is,  clove  oil  is 
not  produced  by  the  pungent  spice  whose  name  it 
bears,  but  is  extracted  from  the  refuse  of  the  cinna- 


A   VALUABLE  SPICE.  1Q5 

mon  bark.  The  "  gardens  "  referred  to  were  mis- 
named. There  was  no  garden  about  them.  It  was 
simply  a  plantation  of  thick-growing  shrubbery,  ap- 
parently much  neglected.  The  spacious  area  is  now 
improved  by  picturesque  European  residences,  spa- 
cious domestic  flower  plats,  and  croquet  grounds,  car- 
peted with  velvety  grass.  Flourishing  fruit  trees  and 
nodding  palms  render  the  place  attractive  at  this  writ- 
ing. While  strolling  or  driving  through  a  cinnamon 
plantation,  —  and  there  are  plenty  of  them  all  over 
the  island,  especially  in  the  south,  —  one  seeks  in 
vain  to  detect  the  perfume  derived  from  the  spice  so 
well  known.  It  is  not  the  bloom  nor  the  berry  which 
creates  this  scent,  but  when  the  bark  is  being  gath- 
ered at  the  semi-annual  harvest,  the  aroma  is  distinct 
enough.  The  spice  of  commerce  is  the  ground  inner 
bark  of  the  tree,  the  branches  of  which  are  cut, 
peeled,  and  dried  in  the  sun.  The  harvests  occur 
about  Christmas  and  again  in  midsummer.  By  trim- 
ming the  smaller  branches  the  productiveness  of  the 
main  portion  is  improved,  and  the  pungency  of 
the  bark  is  increased.  Cinnamon  was  the  cassia  of 
the  Jews  and  ancients.  Probably  Solomon's  ships 
brought  the  much-prized  spice  from  this  island.  The 
consumers  generally  did  not  know  from  whence  it 
came,  that  was  a  royal  secret,  and  much  mystery 
hung  about  the  matter,  while  the  cost  was  at  that 
period  so  high  as  to  make  it  an  exclusive  article,  — 
that  is  to  say,  it  was  only  to  be  afforded  by  the  rich. 


106  THE  PEARL  OF  INDIA. 

The  uncleared  woodland  of  the  island  is  very  ex- 
tensive. The  forests  must  have  been  of  much  smaller 
area  when  the  population  was  quadruple  its  present 
aggregate,  particularly  in  the  north,  where  the  exten- 
sive ruins  show  how  vast  in  numbers  the  population 
must  have  been.  It  is  estimated  by  good  authority 
that  there  are  two  and  a  half  million  acres  of  wild, 
thickly  wooded  country,  which  contain  all  the  varie- 
ties of  trees  peculiar  to  the  equatorial  regions.  It  is 
difficult  to  overestimate  the  grandeur  of  the  primeval 
forest  of  Ceylon,  with  its  solemn  arches  and  avenues 
of  evergreen,  its  majestic  palms,  and  tall  tree-ferns 
shading  silver  lakelets.  Every  pond,  large  or  small, 
is  sure  to  be  the  resort  of  tall  wading-birds  and  water- 
fowls. Presently  we  come  upon  a  spot  where  the 
earth  is  flecked  with  golden  sunlight,  shifting  and 
evanescent,  sifted,  as  it  were,  through  the  gently  vi- 
brating leaves,  softly  gilding  the  sombre  drapery  of 
the  forest.  There  is  nothing  monotonous  in  a  tropical 
wood ;  individual  outlines  and  coloring  are  in  endless 
variety.  The  contrasts  presented  in  a  circumscribed 
space  are  infinite,  while  a  never-fading  bloom  over- 
spreads the  whole.  Now  and  again  the  eye  takes 
in  a  ravishingly  beautiful  effect  through  the  deep- 
blue  vistas  stretching  away  into  mysterious  depths. 
Pressing  forward,  we  come  upon  a  wilderness  of  splen- 
did trees,  running  up  seventy  or  eighty  feet  towards 
the  sky  without  a  branch,  then  spreading  out  into  a 
glorious  canopy  of  green.  Would  that  we  could  fully 


EQUATORIAL  FORESTS.  107 

impress  the  reader  with  the  unflagging  charm  of 
an  equatorial  forest.  "You  will  find  something  far 
greater  in  the  woods  than  you  will  find  in  books," 
said  St.  Bernard. 

Professor  Agassiz  recorded  the  names  of  three  hun- 
dred varieties  of  trees  growing  in  the  area  of  one 
square  mile  in  a  Brazilian  forest.  The  same  abun- 
dance and  variety  exist  in  Ceylon. 

The  beauty  and  value  of  the  native  woods  of  this 
island  cannot  fail  promptly  to  attract  the  notice  and 
admiration  of  the  stranger.  The  calamander,  ebony, 
and  satinwood  trees,  familiar  to  us  as  choice  cabi- 
net woods,  are  conspicuous  and  ornamental,  besides 
which  there  are  in  these  forests  many  other  valuable 
species.  Externally,  the  ebony-tree  appears  as  though 
its  trunk  had  been  charred.  Beneath  the  bark,  the 
wood  is  white  as  far  as  the  heart,  which  is  so  black 
as  to  have  passed  into  a  synonym.  It  is  this  inner 
portion  which  forms  the  wood  of  commerce.  The 
sura  or  tulip-tree  produces  a  material  of  extraordi- 
nary firmness  of  texture,  reddish-brown  in  color. 
It  bears  a  yellow  blossom  similar  in  form  to  the 
tulip ;  hence  its  name.  It  is  known  in  botany  as  Hi- 
biscus populneus,  so  called  because  it  has  the  leaf  of 
the  poplar  and  the  flower  of  the  hibiscus.  The  tama- 
rind, most  majestic  and  beautiful,  yields  a  red  wood 
curiously  mottled  with  black  spots,  and  when  polished 
gives  a  glass-like  surface,  but  it  is  too  valuable  as  a 
fruit-bearer  to  be  freely  used  for  manufacturing  pur- 


108  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

poses  or  for  timber  in  building.  The  halmalille-tree 
gives  the  most  durable  and  useful  substance  next  to 
the  palm,  and  is  specially  adapted  to  the  manufacture 
of  staves  for  casks ;  indeed,  it  is  the  only  wood  known 
on  the  island  which  is  considered  suitable  for  this  pur- 
pose. Cooperage  is  an  important  industry  and  a  grow- 
ing one  here,  as  many  thousands  of  casks  are  required 
annually  in  which  to  export  cocoanut  oil,  not  to  reckon 
those  employed  for  storing  and  transporting  that  most 
fiery  liquor,  Ceylon  arrack.  Considerable  quantities 
of  this  intoxicant  find  their  way  northward  to  the  con- 
tinent of  India. 

The  famous  buoyant  Madras  surf-boats  are  built 
of  this  halmalille  wood,  in  the  construction  of  which 
no  nails  are  used.  The  several  parts  are  secured  by 
stout  leather  thongs,  the  wood  being  literally  sewed 
together  with  that  article  and  with  cocoanut  fibre, 
wrought  into  stout,  durable  cordage.  So  great  and 
peculiar  is  the  incessant  strain  upon  these  small 
craft  employed  in  an  open  roadstead  that  nails  will 
not  hold  in  such  light  constructions.  A  certain  flexi- 
bility is  required,  which  is  best  obtained  in  the  man- 
ner described. 

One  tree  is  particularly  remembered  as  we  write 
these  lines,  a  cotton-bearer,  though  the  article  it  pro- 
duces is  only  floss-like,  and  too  short  in  texture  for 
spinning  purposes.  It  is,  however,  very  generally 
used  for  stuffing  sofas  and  chair  cushions.  This  tree 
is  deciduous ;  the  leaves  do  not  appear  until  after  the 


NIGHT  IN  THE  FOREST.  109 

crimson  blossoms  have  quite  covered  the  branches, 
producing  a  very  peculiar  and  pretty  effect.  When 
the  blossoms  fall,  the  neighboring  grounds  are  car- 
peted in  varied  scarlet  figures,  giving  a  novel  and 
lovely  covering,  surpassing  the  finest  product  of  the 
looms.  After  the  blossoms  are  gone,  the  bright  green 
leaves  burst  quickly  forth  in  prodigal  abundance. 

If  one  chances  to  be  amid  these  shadows  of  the 
forest  after  nightfall,  the  scene  is  totally  changed  as 
well  as  the  prevailing  sounds  that  greet  the  ear.  It 
is  then  that  one  hears  the  short,  sharp  bark  of  the 
jackals,  the  weird  howl  of  migrating  families  of  flying- 
foxes,  the  ceaseless  hooting  of  several  species  of  owls, 
—  one  of  which  is  known  as  the  devil-bird  because  of 
its  uncanny  scream,  —  the  croaking  of  tree-toads  and 
mammoth  crickets,  mingled  with  the  frequent,  dis- 
tressful cry  of  some  other  night  bird  whose  name  is 
unknown,  —  it  is  heard  but  not  seen.  Through  the 
vistas  of  the  trees  flashes  of  soft  light  as  if  from  a 
small  torch  catch  the  eye;  if  it  is  low  and  marshy 
these  are  like  moving  balls  of  fire,  doubtless  caused 
by  some  electric  combinations.  The  dance  of  the 
fireflies  amid  the  thick  undergrowth  is  confusing  as 
well  as  fascinating.  One  seems  to  be  in  fairyland, 
and  looks  about  for  the  figure  of  a  sylphid  floating 
upon  a  gossamer  cloud,  or  a  group  of  fairy  revelers 
tripping  upon  the  blossom-covered  ground.  Is  it  all 
reality,  we  ask  ourselves,  or  a  dream  from  which  we 
shall  presently  awake  ? 


110  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

The  large,  brilliant  flower  of  the  rhododendron  is 
familiar  to  New  Englanders  as  growing  upon  a  bush 
eight  or  ten  feet  high.  It  is  annually  made  quite  a 
feature  when  in  bloom  in  the  Boston  Public  Garden, 
but  in  Ceylon  it  is  much  more  ambitious,  forming 
forests  by  itself,  and  growing  to  the  proportions  of 
a  large  tree,  averaging  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  in 
height.  In  the  vicinity  of  Adam's  Peak  this  tree 
abounds,  covering  the  abrupt  sides  of  that  famous 
elevation  almost  to  its  rocky  summit,  where  it  is 
crowned  by  the  small,  iron-chained  Buddhist  temple, 
thus  fastened  to  secure  it  against  the  fierce  winds 
that  sometimes  sweep  these  heights. 

The  prevailing  color  of  the  flowers  is  scarlet,  but 
there  are  variations  showing  lovely  shades  of  pink 
and  cream  colors.  Those  which  grow  at  the  greatest 
altitude  seem  to  differ  somewhat  from  the  others,  and 
are  said  to  be  peculiar  to  Ceylon,  being  sixty  feet 
in  height,  with  trunks  nearly  two  feet  in  diameter. 

This  is  but  one  among  many  of  the  tall  flowering 
trees  upon  the  island.  The  reader  can  easily  imagine 
the  beautiful  effect  of  a  broad  mountain  side  covered 
with  gorgeous  rhododendron-trees  in  full  bloom,  so 
abundant  that  the  very  atmosphere  seems  to  be  scarlet 
with  the  strong  reflection  of  the  flowers.  Like  the 
superb  sunset  of  the  north,  accompanied  by  the 
orange,  scarlet,  and  fiery  red  of  the  twilight  glow, 
were  this  mountain  of  rhododendrons  to  be  literally 
reproduced  by  the  painter's  art,  we  should  think  it 
an  exaggeration. 


RHODODENDRONS.  Ill 

In  the  opening  month  of  the  year,  this  regal  flower 
is  in  full  bloom  on  Adam's  Peak,  and  so  continues 
until  July,  when  it  takes  its  winter's  sleep.  The 
green  leaves  of  the  species  growing  high  up  the 
mountain  are  silver-lined,  while  those  lower  down  are 
brown  on  the  under  side.  The  former  have  also 
stouter  stems,  and  are  more  stocky  in  all  respects. 
The  latter,  to  a  casual  observer,  are  more  delicate  in 
form  and  more  beautiful  in  color. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Arboreal  King-  of  the  Forest.  —  The  Palm  Family.  —  Over-Generous 
Nature  and  her  Liberal  Provisions.  —  Product  of  the  Cocoanut- 
Tree.  —  The  Wide-Spreading-  Banian.  —  Excellent  Public  Roads.  — 
Aquatic  Birds  and  Plants.  —  Native  Fruit  Trees.  —  The  Mangosteen. 
—  Spice-Bearing  Trees.  —  Treatment  of  Women.  —  Singhalese  Ru- 
ral Life.  —  Physical  Character  of  Tamil  Men.  —  Tree  Climbing.  — 
Native  Children.  —  Numerical  Relation  of  the  Sexes.  —  Caste  as 
respected  in  Ceylon.  —  Tattooing  the  Human  Body. 

OF  all  vegetable  nature,  so  abundant,  prolific,  and 
beautiful  in  this  equatorial  region,  one  most  delights 
in  the  characteristic  and  ever-present  palm,  —  arbo- 
real king  of  the  forest.  Ceylon  has  seven  very  im- 
portant varieties  native  to  its  soil,  which  are  found 
in  great  abundance  especially  upon  the  southern 
coast  of  the  island.  These  are  the  cocoanut,  the 
palmyra,  the  kittool,  the  areca,  the  date,  the  talipot, 
and  the  fan  palm.  The  latter  member  of  this  fam- 
ily, seen  in  greatest  perfection  at  Singapore,  is  a 
conspicuous  ornament  which  greets  the  stranger  im- 
mediately upon  landing,  and  its  peculiar  shape  is 
almost  constantly  to  be  met  with,  go  where  one  may 
upon  that  interesting  island.  It  springs  up  from  the 
earth  with  a  comparatively  short  stem  before  the 
branches  begin,  unlike  most  other  palms,  presenting 
an  appearance  of  an  expanded  fan,  as  though  it  were 
artificially  trained  to  grow  in  this  particular  shape. 


THE   COCOANUT  PALM.  113 

It  reaches  a  height  of  forty  feet  or  more,  and  forms 
a  distinctive  feature  of  the  scenery.  Its  roots,  like 
those  of  the  asparagus  plant,  are  small  and  innumera- 
ble, seeking  sustenance  by  means  of  these  tentacles 
which  expand  irregularly  in  all  directions. 

The  fan  palm  is  to  be  seen  in  California,  but  it  is 
of  inferior  growth,  and  is  not  indigenous  there.  At 
the  north  of  Ceylon,  the  palmyra  palm  prevails,  while 
the  south  and  southwest  coast  are  literally  lined  with 
large  and  thrifty  groves  of  cocoanut  palms,  the  value 
of  whose  products  is  immense.  The  care  and  render- 
ing of  these  gives  employment  and  support  to  whole 
villages  of  natives.  Unlike  the  date,  the  cocoanut 
palm  bears  male  and  female  buds  on  the  same 
branches.  The  last-named  tree  thrives  best,  and 
bears  most  fruit,  when  growing  near  the  salt  water, 
a  peculiarity  which  does  not  apply  specially  to  other 
members  of  this  family. 

It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  mention  that  the  cocoanut 
palm,  like  the  camel,  is  always  found  associated  with 
man.  There  are  no  wild  camels,  and  the  cocoanut- 
tree  does  not  flourish  in  the  wilderness.  It  is  most 
at  home  when  its  tall,  smooth  gray  stem  inclines 
gracefully,  heavy  with  fruit,  over  some  native,  rudely 
thatched  cabin,  a  picture  which  is  constantly  repeat- 
ing itself  in  the  southern  part  of  Ceylon. 

On  first  approaching  the  island,  it  is  seen  that  the 
shore  is  palm-fringed  from  Dondra  Head  to  Colombo, 
and  even  far  north  of  the  latter  place.  The  pictur- 


114  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

esque  cocoanut  groves  come  down  close  to  the  sea, 
from  which  they  are  separated  only  by  a  golden  belt 
of  yellow  sand,  over  which  the  trees  incline  gracefully, 
with  their  broad,  plume-like  foliage  half  hiding  the 
ripening  clusters  of  russet-clad  fruit  hanging  fifty  or 
sixty  feet  skyward.  The  salt  spray  of  the  Indian 
Ocean  impregnates  the  atmosphere  when  the  mon- 
soons blow,  stimulating  the  palms  to  unwonted  vigor 
and  fruitfulness.  So  uniform  is  their  growth  along 
the  level  shore  that  the  tall  white  trunks  with  their 
feathery  crowns  seem  to  stand  in  closed  ranks  like  a 
line  of  soldiers  at  "  parade  rest." 

The  reason  of  the  extensive  geographical  distribu- 
tion of  the  cocoanut  palm  is  doubtless  from  its  growing 
in  such  close  proximity  to  the  sea.  The  ripe  nut  falls 
upon  the  shore  and  is  floated  by  tide  and  wind  to 
other  islands  and  coral  reefs,  where  in  due  course  it 
propagates  itself  and  in  turn  begets  other  seeds  which 
seek  new  lands  in  a  similar  manner  and  there  plant 
themselves.  The  small  islets  of  the  Indian  Ocean 
and  the  South  Pacific  have  thus  become  heavily 
wooded  from  chance  beginnings,  though  it  has  re- 
quired many  ages  to  bring  about  the  present  condi- 
tions. 

The  cocoanut  palm  is  to  the  natives  of  Ceylon  what 
the  date  palm  is  to  the  Arabs  of  the  desert.  Its  reg- 
ular cultivation  is  one  of  the  recognized  industries. 
The  nuts  designed  for  planting  are  selected  from  the 
best  which  are  produced,  and  are  kept  upon  the  tree 


PROPAGATING   THE  COCOANUT.          115 

until  they  are  thoroughly  ripe,  when  they  are  placed 
in  a  nursery,  partially  covered  with  earth,  and  exposed 
to  the  sun.  There  they  remain  until  a  sprout  shoots 
up  from  the  eye  of  the  nut,  and  when  this  reaches 
the  height  of  nearly  three  feet,  it  also  shows  long, 
irregular  roots  hanging  from  the  base.  It  is  then 
planted  in  the  ground  at  a  depth  of  about  two  feet. 
The  young  tree  grows  very  slowly  for  six  or  seven 
years,  increasing  more  in  stoutness  than  in  height. 
Presently  it  starts  afresh  to  grow  tall  quite  rapidly, 
and  by  the  eighth  or  ninth  year  it  begins  to  bear  fruit. 
Though  the  cultivation  of  this  tree  is  so  important, 
and  ultimately  so  profitable,  in  equatorial  regions  that 
one  would  not  think  of  its  being  neglected,  still,  owing 
to  the  length  of  time  required  to  bring  it  to  the  fruit- 
bearing  condition,  the  ever  lazy  natives  do  not  expend 
much  effort  in  the  business.  The  long  period  between 
the  seed  and  the  product  discourages  them.  Nature, 
however,  steps  in  and  fills  the  gap  by  the  chance 
planting  of  many  trees  annually,  and  when  these 
reach  a  certain  growth  suitable  for  removal,  they  are 
transplanted  into  advantageous  situations.  The  new 
palms  which  are  thus  added  yearly  much  more  than 
keep  good  their  numbers,  as  they  are  hardy  and 
long-lived  trees. 

Thus  it  is  that  Nature  is  over-generous,  and  makes 
liberal  provisions  for  her  children  in  all  instances. 
The  camel  has  a  foot  especially  designed  for  traveling 
upon  the  desert  sands.  Birds  of  prey  possess  talons 


11G  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

suitable  for  seizing,  and  powerful  beaks  formed  for 
severing  their  natural  food.  The  tiniest  plant  shows 
exquisite  adaptation  to  the  climate  where  it  is  placed. 
Animals  of  the  Arctic  regions  are  covered  with  fur 
adequate  to  protect  them  from  the  freezing  tempera- 
ture in  which  they  live.  The  most  barbarous  tribes 
are  not  forgotten.  Wherever  we  find  them,  their 
food  and  necessities  are  sure  to  be  discovered  close  at 
hand.  Examples  might  be  multiplied  by  the  hun- 
dred. Ceylon  alone  offers  us  confirmation  which  is 
irrefutable,  few  spots  on  earth  being  better  adapted 
to  supply  the  natural  wants  of  primitive  man. 

A  thoughtful  person  cannot  fail  to  be  impressed 
with  the  remarkable  adaptation  of  the  palm  family  to 
the  requirements  of  the  natives  of  this  region.  Take, 
for  instance,  the  cocoanut-tree,  and  realize  for  a  mo- 
ment its  bountiful,  beneficent  products.  It  affords 
never-failing  water  in  an  always  thirsty  clime.  Nu- 
tritious and  palatable  cream  is  obtained  from  its 
luscious  nut ;  toddy  to  refresh  the  weary  traveler,  or 
arrack  when  fermented,  comes  from  the  same  source, 
besides  a  rich  oil  for  various  domestic  uses.  Thus 
we  have  five  distinct  products  from  the  cocoanut-tree, 
while  the  wood  of  the  trunk  itself  affords  material  for 
many  uses.  The  oriental  poet  designates  three  hun- 
dred different  purposes  to  which  the  palm  and  its  fruit 
can  be  profitably  applied.  The  green  nut  contains 
nearly  a  pint  of  cool,  sweet  water ;  cool  in  the  hottest 
weather,  if  partaken  of  when  it  is  first  gathered  from 


THE   COCOANUT  PALM.  117 

the  tree.  The  inner  rind  of  the  ripe  nut,  when  re- 
duced to  a  pulp,  yields  under  pressure  a  cup  of  deli- 
cious cream.  The  toddy  is  sap  produced  from  the 
buds  thus  divested,  instead  of  permitting  them  to 
ripen  and  form  the  final  nut.  When  it  is  first  drawn, 
this  liquid  is  pleasant  and  refreshing,  like  the  newly 
expressed  juice  of  the  grape,  or  still  more  like  Mexi- 
can pulque,  produced  by  the  American  aloe,  which  is 
the  universal  tipple  of  the  people  south  of  the  Rio 
Grande.  By  fermentation  of  the  liquids  obtained 
from  the  buds  of  the  palm  and  from  the  stout  stalk 
of  the  aloe,  it  becomes  like  alcohol,  and  is  decidedly 
intoxicating.  Cocoanut  oil,  produced  from  the  fully 
ripe  and  dried  meat  of  the  nut,  is  a  great  staple  of 
export  from  Colombo  and  Point  de  Galle.  Each 
cocoanut-tree  produces  on  an  average  from  fifty  to  a 
hundred  full  and  perfect  nuts,  yielding  about  a  score 
the  first  year  of  its  coming  into  bearing. 

The  cocoanut  palm  is  the  most  common  and  most 
valuable  of  this  family  of  trees,  and  next  to  it  is  the 
areca.  The  top  of  the  former  always  bends  grace- 
fully towards  the  earth,  affording  the  Eastern  poets 
a  synonym  for  humility,  while  the  stem  of  the  latter 
is  quite  remarkable  for  its  perfectly  upright  form. 
Undoubtedly  the  cocoa  palm  does  thrive  best  where  it 
gets  the  influence  of  the  sea  breezes  tinctured  with  the 
salt  of  the  ocean,  but  it  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that 
this  tree  does  not  thrive  inland  in  Ceylon.  Some  of 
the  finest  specimens  to  be  met  with  are  in  the  central 


118  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

province  of  the  island,  between  Kandy  and  Trin- 
comalee. 

The  talipot  palm  is  very  marked  in  its  nature,  and 
is  specially  interesting  to  naturalists ;  fine  specimens 
are  to  be  seen  all  over  the  island.  Its  most  remark- 
able peculiarity  is  that  it  flourishes  about  forty  or  fifty 
years  without  flowering ;  then  it  seems  to  arrive  at  ma- 
turity, blooms  in  regal  style,  yields  its  abundant  seed, 
and  dies,  —  the  only  vegetable  growth  known  which 
passes  through  such  a  uniformly  prolonged  process 
of  ripening  and  decay,  not  forgetting  the  misnamed 
century  plant.  The  flower  of  the  talipot  is  a  tall, 
pyramidal  spike  of  pale  yellow  blossoms,  standing 
twenty  feet  above  its  heavy  dark-green  foliage  like  a 
huge  military  pompon.  It  is  pronounced  by  botanists 
to  be  the  noblest  and  largest  flower  in  the  world,  and 
this  is  certainly  so  if  we  consider  the  whole  clustering 
bloom  as  being  one  flower.  The  leaves  of  the  tree 
when  full-grown  are  large  and  of  a  deep  green,  but 
when  young  they  are  a  pale  yellow,  and  are  then  dried 
and  used  for  writing  upon.  Leaves  of  the  talipot  have 
been  measured  in  Ceylon  which  have  attained  the 
length  of  twenty  feet,  and  they  are  used  by  the 
natives  for  the  erection  of  tents.  The  author  has 
seen  in  Brazil  leaves  of  what  is  known  as  the  inaja 
palm  fifty  feet  long  and  ten  or  twelve  wide. 

The  young  leaves  of  the  palmyra  palm  are  also  em- 
ployed for  manuscripts,  or  rather  were  until  lately. 
They  are  prepared  by  steeping  them  in  hot  water  or 


BANIAN-TREES.  119 

milk,  after  which  they  are  dried  and  pressed  between 
pieces  of  smooth  wood.  The  ancient  Mexicans  before 
Pizarro's  time  used  the  leaves  of  the  aloe  for  a  similar 
purpose.  The  talipot  palm  is  the  queen  of  its  tribe. 

The  betelnut  is  the  product  of  the  areca  palm,  and 
resembles  a  nutmeg  in  shape  and  size.  A  couple  of 
hundred  generally  form  the  annual  yield  of  a  single 
tree.  Like  the  cocoanut  or  our  American  chestnut, 
the  fruit  grows  inside  of  a  husk,  russet  colored,  and 
fibrous  in  its  nature.  Farther  to  the  eastward,  among 
the  Straits  Settlements,  the  areca  palm  is  known  as 
the  Penang-tree  because  of  its  predominance  in  that 
well-wooded  island,  where  human  life  exhibits  only 
its  most  sensuous  and  lowest  form,  and  where  vegeta- 
tion, fruits,  and  flowers  revel  in  exuberance. 

The  banian-tree  with  its  aerial  roots  is  indige- 
nous to  Ceylon,  flourishing  after  its  peculiar  fashion 
in  all  parts  of  the  island.  At  a  point  on  the  coast 
about  half-way  between  Colombo  and  Galle,  there  is 
a  grand  specimen  of  this  self -producing  arboreal  giant. 
The  road  passes  directly  through  its  extensive  grove, 
beneath  its  dense  and  welcome  shade,  which  here 
forms  a  sort  of  triumphal  arch.  The  author  has  seen 
but  one  other  example  of  the  banian-tree  so  large  and 
fine  in  effect ;  namely,  that  of  world-wide  fame  in  the 
Botanical  Garden  just  outside  of  Calcutta,  under  the 
thick  foliage  and  branches  of  which  a  whole  regiment 
of  infantry  might  comfortably  encamp.  The  age  of 
the  banian  is  incalculable.  It  multiplies  itself  so  that 


120  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

it  may  be  said  in  one  sense  to  live  forever.  Many 
centuries  of  age  are  claimed  for  this  tree  in  the  south 
of  Ceylon. 

Speaking  of  the  road  between  Colombo  and  Galle, 
too  much  praise  cannot  be  bestowed  upon  these  gov- 
ernment thoroughfares.  Whether  on  long  or  short 
routes,  they  are  admirably  and  substantially  con- 
structed, consequently  they  are  easy  to  keep  in  good 
order.  The  island  has  over  three  thousand  miles  of 
made  roadways  in  an  area  of  twenty-five  thousand 
square  miles.  "  The  first  and  most  potent  means  of 
extending  civilization,"  says  a  modern  pioneer,  uis 
found  in  roads,  the  second  in  roads,  the  third  again 
in  roads."  The  best  thoroughfares  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  our  New  England  cities  are  hardly  equal  to 
these.  The  Ceylon  public  roads  would  delight  Colonel 
Pope,  of  bicycle  fame  ;  he  who  so  eloquently  and  none 
too  earnestly  advocates  the  great  importance  of  good 
common  roads,  especially  in  New  England,  where  we 
are,  when  the  truth  is  fairly  spoken,  sadly  deficient  in 
them.  The  new  States  of  the  West  and  Southwest 
far  excel  us  in  this  respect.  The  road  on  which  we 
have  just  embarked,  aside  from  its  excellence  in  point 
of  usefulness  (the  railway  from  Colombo  to  Galle 
was  not  completed  when  the  author  traveled  over 
the  route),  is  one  of  ideal  beauty,  passing  through  a 
forest  and  shore  region  combined.  This  turnpike 
abounds  in  unique  effects  and  a  succession  of  charm- 
ing surprises.  One  is  never  quite  prepared  for  the 


AQUATIC  BIRDS.  121 

natural  tableaux  which  constantly  present  themselves. 
An  experienced  traveler  in  the  low  latitudes  is  apt  to 
anticipate  the  probabilities  when  starting  forth  on  a 
new  tropical  route,  but  one  must  behold  in  order 
to  properly  understand  the  nature  of  Ceylon  forest 
scenery.  The  Colombo  and  Galle  road  forms  an  al- 
most continuous  avenue  through  overarching  cocoanut 
palms,  with  frequent  glimpses  of  the  Indian  Ocean 
on  one  side  and  of  fresh-water  ponds  and  small  lakes 
on  the  other,  the  latter  all  alive  with  aquatic  birds, 
such  as  water-pheasants,  plovers,  teal,  sand-larks,  and 
the  like.  The  "painted  snipe,"  as  it  is  called,  is 
very  common,  having  a  chocolate-colored  head  and  a 
white  collar,  with  back  and  wings  of  green,  the  tail 
feathers  being  spotted  with  yellow  like  a  butterfly's 
wings.  It  is  a  very  active  bird  and  is  never  quiet 
for  a  single  moment,  constantly  teetering  when  upon 
its  feet  while  seeking  for  red  worms  in  the  sand. 
A  very  similar  bird  is  often  seen  on  the  salt-water 
beaches  of  New  England,  which  resembles  this  Cey- 
lon example  in  shape,  size,  and  habits,  but  not  in  the 
texture  of  its  feathers.  The  American  bird  also 
called  snipe  is  of  a  uniform  pale  lavender  color.  It 
is  shy  enough  on  our  coast,  but  its  tropical  brother 
is  as  tame  as  a  pigeon.  These  places  are  teeming 
with  blossoms,  —  pink  lilies,  bearing  broad,  floating, 
heart-shaped  leaves  whose  roots  are  securely  an- 
chored to  the  bottom.  Some  of  the  plants  resting 
so  serenely  on  the  glass-like  surface  have  short,  deli- 


122  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

cate  white  roots,  and  receive  their  nutriment  only 
from  the  air  and  water,  not  coming  in  contact  with 
the  earth  at  all.  Others,  with  insect-inviting  petals, 
close  promptly  upon  the  victims  allured  to  their  em- 
brace and  digest  them  at  leisure,  thriving  marvel- 
ously  upon  this  animal  nourishment.  Any  agency 
which  tends  to  diminish  the  myriads  of  flies  and  mos- 
quitoes is  an  assured  blessing. 

When  a  native  hut  is  seen,  it  is  found  scarcely  to 
equal  the  anthills  in  neatness  and  solidity  of  construc- 
tion. Close  by  the  cabin  the  always  interesting  bread- 
fruit-tree rears  its  tall  head,  abounding  in  its  large 
pale  green  product,  which  forms  a  never-failing  natural 
food  supply.  It  is  a  notable  member  of  the  fruit- 
bearing  trees  of  these  latitudes,  and  is  next  in  impor- 
tance to  the  cocoa  palm,  with  its  serrated,  feathery 
leaves,  and  its  melon-shaped  product.  The  bread-fruit 
weighs  on  an  average  ten  pounds  each,  and  often 
attains  double  that  weight.  It  is  as  fattening  to  cattle 
as  the  best  Indian  meal,  and  the  natives  relish  it,  but 
to  a  European  the  bread-fruit  is  not  palatable.  The 
tree  grows  about  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  requires 
but  very  little  attention  to  insure  its  welfare.  Plenty 
of  bananas,  the  big  jack  fruit,  mangoes,  and  plantains 
give  altogether  the  appearance  of  an  abundance  for 
the  support  of  life.  As  regards  the  valuable  and,  to 
the  native,  indispensable  jack- tree,  it  is  strongly  in- 
dividualized, not  only  because  it  yields  the  largest  of 
all  edible  fruit,  but  also  in  the  fact  that  the  massive 


THE  JACK-TREE.  123 

product  grows  out  of  the  body  of  the  tree,  and  not, 
after  the  fashion  of  other  fruits,  upon  the  small  limbs 
and  branches.  Nature  has  made  a  special  provision 
in  behalf  of  this  tree.  As  it  grows  older  and  the 
fruit  increases  in  size,  it  is  produced  lower  and  lower 
on  the  trunk  each  year,  until  from  being  grown  near 
the  top,  it  springs  out  close  to  the  ground.  Though 
the  short,  rope-like  stalk  which  holds  the  rough, 
green-coated  fruit  is  of  strong  fiber,  still,  when  in  ripe 
condition,  it  is  apt  to  fall  to  the  earth.  As  the  pro- 
duct increases  in  size,  it  would  be  broken  to  pieces  if 
it  fell  from  any  considerable  height.  The  natives 
apply  themselves  to  its  consumption  with  unlimited 
capacities.  The  wood  of  the  jack  is  much  used  for 
lumber,  being  easily  worked,  and  presenting  a  good 
surface  even  for  common  house  furniture  as  well  as 
for  lighter  bungalow  framework.  Supporting  tim- 
bers, however,  must  be  made  from  harder  wood,  so  as 
to  resist  the  inroads  of  the  vicious  ants.  The  humble 
native  tenement  has  a  frame  made  from  the  tough, 
golden-stemmed  bamboo,  which  is  to  a  casual  observer 
apparently  very  frail,  but  is  nevertheless  found  to  be 
extremely  flexible,  tenacious,  and  lasting.  Where  the 
bamboo  branches  intersect  each  other,  they  are  se- 
curely bound  together  with  thongs  made  from  palm- 
tree  fibre ;  this  is  to  secure  them  in  position. 

For  a  long  time  the  luscious  mangosteen  was  thought 
to  be  peculiar  to  the  islands  of  the  Malacca  Straits, 
but  it  is  now  found  thriving  in  this  garden-land  of 


124  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

Ceylon,  having  been  long  since  introduced  from 
Penang.  Attempts  to  domesticate  it  in  southern  India 
have  proved  unsuccessful.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
the  fragrant  nutmeg,  which  has  become  an  article  of 
profitable  export  from  the  island,  though  it  is  not 
indigenous  here.  Along  this  turnpike  road  we  occa- 
sionally pass  small  cinnamon  plantations,  where  the 
process  of  cutting  and  peeling  the  bark  is  going  on, 
considerable  quantities  being  exposed  and  spread  out 
in  the  sun,  whose  intense  heat  dries  it  most  rapidly. 
When  labor  of  any  sort  is  in  progress,  even  in  the  wet 
rice-fields,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  women  perform  the 
hardest  tasks.  In  fact,  this  is  to  be  observed  in  town 
and  country,  both  in  domestic  affairs  and  in  the  open 
field,  especially  in  the  transportation  of  heavy  burdens, 
which  they  carry  on  their  heads. 

Making  beasts  of  burden  of  women  is  not  alone 
practiced  in  Ceylon.  It  is  also  shamefully  obvious  in 
many  European  centres,  where  civilization  is  supposed 
to  have  reached  its  acme.  Americans  who  have  trav- 
eled in  Germany,  for  instance,  have  often  experienced 
disgust  at  the  debasing  services  required  of  the  sex  in 
that  country.  The  author  has  seen  women,  in  Munich, 
carrying  hods  of  bricks  and  mortar  up  long  ladders, 
where  new  buildings  were  being  constructed,  while 
hard  by  their  lords  and  masters  were  drinking  huge 
"schooners"  of  lager  beer  in  taprooms,  and  lazily 
smoking  foul  tobacco. 

Loitering  beneath  the  shade  of  the  trees  contiguous 


FRUIT  GATHERING.  125 

to  their  cabins,  queer  family  groups  of  Singhalese 
natives  watch  the  passing  stranger  with  curious,  ques- 
tioning eyes.  Clothes  are  of  little  consideration  in  a 
climate  like  this,  and  consequently  nudity  is  the  rule. 
The  preparation  of  food  is  intrusted  mainly  to  Nature, 
whose  bountiful  hand  hangs  ripe  and  tempting  nour- 
ishment ever  ready  upon  the  trees,  where  all  are  free 
to  pluck  and  to  eat.  It  is  curious  to  see  how  easily 
a  native  man  or  boy,  with  a  rope  of  vegetable  fibre 
passed  round  his  thighs  and  thence  about  the  trunk 
of  a  palm,  will,  with  feet  and  hands  thus  supple- 
mented, ascend  a  cocoanut-tree  eighty  feet  or  more,  to 
reach  the  ripe  fruit.  He  moves  upwards  as  rapidly  as 
one  might  go  up  a  tall  ladder.  It  is  true,  the  rope 
sometimes  fails,  a  broken  neck  follows,  and  a  fresh 
grave  is  required  to  decently  inter  the  remains.  This 
is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  "  fruitful  "  causes  of 
fatal  accidents  in  Ceylon.  This  sort  of  catastrophe, 
and  poisonous  cobra  bites,  are  almost  as  frequent  and 
deadly  in  the  island  as  electric  car  accidents  are  in 
Boston  or  New  York. 

As  one  regards  these  lazy,  betel-chewing,  irrespon- 
sible children  of  the  tropics,  idling  in  the  shade  of 
the  palms,  it  does  not  seem  strange  that  they  should 
lead  a  sensuous  life,  the  chief  occupations  of  which 
are  eating  and  sleeping.  All  humanity  here  appears 
to  be  more  or  less  torpid.  There  is  no  necessity  to 
arouse  man  to  action,  —  effort  is  superfluous.  The 
very  bounty  of  Nature  makes  the  recipients  lazy, 


126  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

dirty,  and  heedless.  They  live  from  hand  to  mouth, 
exercising  no  forecast,  making  no  provision  for  the 
morrow.  It  is  the  paradise  of  birds,  butterflies,  and 
flowers,  but  man  seems  to  be  out  of  place ;  he  adds 
nothing  to  the  beauty  of  the  surroundings ;  he  does 
nothing  to  improve  such  wealth  of  possibilities  as 
Providence  spreads  broadcast  only  in  equatorial 
regions.  Bishop  Heber's  lines  alluding  to  Ceylon 
were  certainly  both  pertinent  and  true :  "  Where  only 
man  is  vile." 

We  were  just  now  speaking  of  native  family 
groups  observed  on  the  route  between  Galle  and 
Colombo,  which  is  a  thoroughly  typical  region,  and 
may  well  serve  as  a  truthful  picture  of  such  scenes 
all  over  the  southern  district  of  Ceylon.  They  would 
form  admirable  subjects  for  photographic  delineation, 
—  a  gratuitous  suggestion  for  the  modern  Kodak  en- 
thusiast. 

The  children  of  eight  or  nine  years,  who  form  a 
portion  of  these  groups,  are  as  naked  as  when  they 
were  born,  while  their  parents  are  as  scantily  clad  as 
decency  will  permit.  The  boys  and  girls  have  large, 
brilliant,  and  intensely  black  eyes,  with  a  strong 
promise  of  a  good  degree  of  intelligence,  but  their 
possibilities  are  doomed  to  remain  unfulfilled  amid 
such  associations  as  they  are  born  to.  A  few  more 
years  and  they  will  subside  into  languid,  sensuous 
beings,  like  their  progenitors.  They  do  but  obey 
their  polarity,  —  the  "  cherubim  "  of  destiny  ought  to 


SINGHALESE  AND  TAMILS.  127 

be  designated  by  a  harsher  name.  The  men  wear  a 
white  cotton  cloth  wound  about  their  loins.  The 
women  have  a  similar  covering,  sometimes  adding  a 
short,  cotton,  jacket-like  waist.  The  children  have 
monstrously  protruding  stomachs,  like  the  little  dar- 
kies of  our  Southern  States,  but  yet  as  a  rule  they 
seem  to  be  well  and  hearty.  The  women  of  the 
Tamil  race,  especially,  are  of  good  form  and  features, 
much  handsomer  than  the  Singhalese  of  the  same  sex. 
It  is  a  notable  fact  in  this  connection  that  there  are 
fewer  women  in  Ceylon  than  men,  a  circumstance 
which  has  furnished  a  weak  argument  for  some  native 
writers  in  favor  of  polyandry,  which  is  still  sanctioned 
in  the  central  districts.  In  the  island  of  Malta,  this 
relative  position  of  the  sexes  is  entirely  reversed. 

The  Tamil  men  are  of  good  height,  slim,  with  small 
limbs  yet  well  formed,  and  have  pleasing  features  and 
bronzed  skins,  very  similar  in  hue  to  our  North 
American  Indians.  The  Singhalese  are  of  a  darker 
complexion,  not  so  light  in  figure  ;  they  affect  Euro- 
pean dress,  adding  much  ornamentation.  They  hold 
themselves  of  a  superior  class  to  the  Tamils,  en- 
gaging only  in  what  they  consider  a  higher  line  of 
occupation.  The  Tamils  form  the  humbler  and  labor- 
ing population  of  the  country.  They  fully  recognize 
the  distinction  between  themselves  and  the  Singhalese 
proper,  and  they  are  universally  called  coolies.  \  Caste 
is  never  disregarded  among  them,  its  infinite  ramifica- 
tions extending  through  all  degrees  and  classes  of  the 


128  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

people,  regulated  by  universally  accepted  ideas.  This 
peculiar  system  was  early  introduced  into  the  country 
from  India,  but  was  previously  unknown  here.  It  is 
difficult  for  the  uninitiated  to  understand  its  real  im- 
port. There  are  twenty  or  more  castes  rigidly  adhered 
to,  which  may  be  rendered  in  numerical  order  of  im- 
portance as  follows :  The  husbandman's  occupation 
comes  first  in  dignity,  followed  by  that  of  the  fisher- 
man ;  goldsmiths  rank  as  third,  blacksmiths  as  fourth 
caste,  and  so  on  in  the  following  order :  braziers,  cin- 
namon peelers,  washermen,  barbers,  potters,  tom-tom- 
beaters  in  the  temples,  etc.  Domestic  intercourse 
between  persons  of  different  castes  is  inadmissible, 
and  to  marry  below  one's  caste  is  considered  to  be  dis- 
graceful. Feelings  of  intolerable  pride  on  the  one 
hand  and  of  abject  humiliation  on  the  other  are  thus 
created  and  perpetuated.  In  each  caste  the  children 
must  follow  the  occupation  of  the  father ;  a  car- 
penter's boys  must  be  carpenters,  and  his  daughters 
must  marry  carpenters.  Caste  is  therefore  absolute 
death  to  all  promptings  of  ambition,  according  to 
native  ideas.  No  one  can  hope  to  rise  above  the 
grade  in  which  he  is  born,  and  no  one  makes  the 
attempt.  Nearly  a  century  of  English  control  has 
only  served  to  confirm  these  Asiatics  in  the  thralldom 
of  caste.  How  could  it  be  otherwise  when  the  ruling 
power  is  itself  a  slave  to  the  same  idea  ?  Sir  Mat- 
thew Arnold  says  :  "  Aristocracy  now  sets  up  in  our 
country  a  false  ideal,  which  materializes  our  upper 


TATTOOING.  129 

class,  vulgarizes  our  middle  class,  and  brutalizes  our 
lower  class." 

Both  men  and  women  among  the  natives  in  town 
and  country  are  often  tattooed  on  their  arms,  legs, 
and  bodies,  while  a  few,  but  this  is  rare,  are  deco- 
rated on  their  faces.  A  child  less  than  ten  years  of 
age  was  seen  in  the  Pettah  at  Colombo,  whose  body 
was  absolutely  covered  with  crude  designs  fixed  in- 
delibly by  this  process.  One  could  not  but  imagine 
how  the  little  fellow  must  have  been  made  to  suffer 
during  the  worse  than  useless  operation,  which  is, 
even  to  a  hardened  adult,  little  short  of  slow  agony. 
This  instance  struck  the  author  as  being  the  more 
remarkable  because  the  Singhalese  and  almost  all 
savage  or  semi-civilized  races  are  found  to  be  remark- 
ably kind  to  their  offspring,  even  as  wild  animals  are. 
We  are  compelled  in  some  degree  to  qualify  this  asser- 
tion, since  the  missionaries  tell  us  that  in  certain  parts 
of  the  island  female  infants  are  often  destroyed  at 
the  time  of  birth.  If  this  is  the  case  to  any  consid- 
erable extent,  it  would  account  for  the  statistical  fact 
that  the  men  largely  outnumber  the  women  in  Ceylon. 
It  is  difficult  to  believe,  however,  that  this  practice 
prevails  in  our  day.  With  some  barbaric  tribes,  reli- 
gious significance  is  attached  to  the  habit  of  tattooing 
the  human  body.  This  is  the  case  in  New  Zealand, 
and  in  the  islands  generally  of  the  South  Pacific. 
Among  the  former,  professional  tattooers  go  about 
from  tribe  to  tribe  with  rude  but  effective  instru- 


130  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

ments,  and  operate  upon  the  Maoris,  male  and 
female,  with  great  adroitness  and  considerable  artistic 
skill. 

There  is  perhaps  no  other  such  universal  practice 
as  that  of  tattooing  which  prevails  among  semi-savage 
races  in  various  parts  of  the  globe,  but  especially 
among  the  South  Sea  Islanders.  Many  tribes,  never 
brought  in  contact  with  each  other,  seem  to  have 
originated  the  idea  among  themselves. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Experiences  between  Colombo  and  Point  de  Galle.  —  Dangers  of  En- 
countering Reptiles.  —  Marvelous  Ant  Houses.  —  Insect  Archi- 
tects. —  Curious  Bird's  Nests.  —  Flamingoes  at  Rest.  —  Variety  of 
the  Crane  Family.  —  Wild  Pea-Fowls.  —  Buddha's  Prohibition.  — 
Peculiar  Wood-Notes.  —  Mingling  of  Fruit  and  Timber  Trees. — 
Fatal  Parasitic  Vines.  —  Stillness  of  the  Forest.  —  Superstitions  of 
the  Natives.  —  Snake  Bites.  —  Railway  Facilities. 

AMID  all  the  charms  of  this  interesting,  palm-em- 
bowered route  between  Colombo  and  Galle,  there  are 
some  serious  drawbacks  to  be  encountered,  which 
as  a  faithful  chronicler  the  author  must  not  forget 
to  mention.  All  mundane  enjoyments  are  qualified. 
One  meets  inevitably  with  an  aggressive  army  of 
beetles,  ants,  land  leeches,  dragon-flies,  cock-chafers, 
locusts,  wasps,  ticks,  and  vicious  spiders,  these  last 
endowed  with  an  immense  superfluity  of  hairy  legs, 
while  the  omnipresent  and  persistent  mosquito  exhib- 
its unwonted  activity.  Indeed,  ants,  mosquitoes,  and 
sand-flies  literally  feast  upon  the  wayfarer,  until  the 
entire  surface  of  his  face  and  limbs  becomes  excori- 
ated. How  the  natives  with  their  exposed  bodies 
exist  under  such  circumstances  is  a  mystery.  The 
redundancy  of  insect  and  reptile  life  is  wonderful  in 
equatorial  regions,  but  as  regards  the  mosquito,  where 
is  this  pest  not  encountered?  The  author  has  met 


132  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

and  suffered  from  them  at  the  far  north  on  the  very 
glaciers  of  Alaska  during  the  short  summer  months, 
and  in  the  extreme  south  near  the  Antarctic  Circle,  in 
the  East  and  in  the  West,  on  sea  and  on  land.  Of 
course  they  are  perennial  here  like  the  foliage,  and 
viciously  tormenting. 

We  often  heard  stories  of  fatal  bites  from  scorpions, 
centipedes,  cobras,  and  other  reptiles,  but  our  own 
experience  goes  to  show  that  they  are  naturally  in- 
clined to  avoid  human  beings.  It  is  true  that  repul- 
sive insects  and  reptiles  are  to  be  looked  out  for.  One 
is  careful  to  examine  his  shoes  before  putting  them 
on  in  the  morning,  and  to  take  a  few  precautions  of 
that  sort.  Cleanly  houses  do  not  harbor  them,  though 
they  do  sometimes  annoy  the  traveler  in  the  public 
rest-houses  where  he  is  often  compelled  to  pass  the 
night. 

In  the  thickly  wooded  districts,  the  ants'  nests  are 
pyramidal  in  form,  and  five  feet  high,  being  con- 
structed with  even  more  uniformity  than  human 
hands  could  produce.  Inside,  they  are  divided  into 
broad  passageways,  square  halls,  and  store-rooms,  to 
produce  which  divisions,  so  as  to  make  them  both 
accessible  and  convenient  for  the  purpose  designed, 
requires  mental  calculation,  the  possession  of  which 
we  hardly  accord  to  insects.  Mere  instinct  could  not 
insure  such  results  as  are  here  exhibited.  Ants,  like 
bees,  live  in  thoroughly  organized  communities,  and 
are  found  by  naturalists  to  be  divided  into  laborers, 


A  PROVISION  OF  NATURE.  133 

soldiers,  and  food  providers,  all  presided  over  by  a 
recognized  chief  in  authority.  On  a  warm,  dry  morn- 
ing, any  attentive  observer  may  see  the  white  ants  in 
the  neighborhood  of  their  hills  bringing  out  their 
eggs  to  warm  them  in  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun.  In 
proper  time,  before  the  dew  falls,  they  are  carefully 
returned  to  their  original  place  of  deposit.  The 
natives  understand  that  there  will  be  no  rain  when 
the  instinct  —  or  reason  if  you  will  —  of  these  minute 
creatures  leads  them  to  expose  their  eggs  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  sun's  rays.  As  barometers,  these  little 
insects  surpass  the  most  accurate  instrument  which 
human  intelligence  can  construct. 

The  interminable  feuds  and  furious  wars  of  the  ant 
tribe  are  a  curious  study  in  the  tropics,  where  they 
would  be  an  intolerable  pest  were  their  numbers  not 
daily  reduced  by  various  destructive  agencies.  It  is 
a  provision  of  nature  among  animals  and  insects  that 
a  war  of  extermination  is  constantly  in  progress 
among  them.  The  stouter  animal  preys  upon  the 
weaker.  Birds,  beasts,  insects,  and  fishes,  all  are 
cannibals  in  one  sense.  Just  so  among  the  barbaric 
tribes  of  Africa,  New  Zealand,  the  Fiji  Islands,  Aus- 
tralia, etc.  :  the  natives,  since  time  was  young  until 
very  lately,  have  made  war  upon  each  other  when 
their  food  supply  ran  low,  in  order  to  secure  prisoners, 
whom  they  roasted  and  ate. 

In  these  thick  woods  along  the  coast,  curious  nests 
of  unfamiliar  birds  also  catch  the  eye,  securely  fixed 

. 

TV2BSXT? 


134  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

among  the  pendulous  orchids  and  creeping  ferns. 
All  is  so  new  to  a  northerner  that  he  is  on  the  watch 
for  every  typical  object  which  may  present  itself. 
He  does  not  fail  to  mark  the  nest  of  the  tailor-bird, 
the  little  creature  which  ingeniously  sews  leaves  to- 
gether to  suit  its  purpose,  and  that  of  the  weaver-bird 
with  its  tunnel-like  entrance ;  both  are  common  in 
the  district  which  we  are  describing.  The  nest  of 
the  grosbeak  is  remarkable,  being  two  feet  long,  and 
composed  of  finely  woven  grass  as  strong  as  the 
texture  of  common  straw  hats.  It  is  shaped  like  an 
elongated  pear,  and  suspended  at  the  extreme  end  of  a 
branch,  swinging  back  and  forth  in  the  wind.  The 
entrance  is  at  the  bottom,  so  as  to  render  the  nest 
secure  against  the  attacks  of  snakes,  monkeys,  and 
other  enemies.  Sometimes  a  score  of  these  nests  are 
seen  in  the  same  tree.  There  is  also  a  species  of 
wasp  whose  architectural  proclivities  are  displayed  in 
the  building  of  stout,  pendant  nests  five  feet  in 
length.  Low  down  among  the  undergrowth,  say  five 
feet  from  the  earth,  there  are  colonies  of  spiders, 
whose  webs  are  nearly  as  strong  as  pack-thread, 
absolutely  barring  the  way  in  some  places  among  the 
dense  wood.  Coming  upon  an  open  glade,  a  wild 
peacock  is  seen.  He  exhibits  no  fear  of  our  presence, 
but  flaunts  his  feathery  splendors  with  all  the  self- 
sufficiency  of  conscious  beauty.  Farther  on,  we  see 
pretty  specimens  of  the  bird  of  paradise.  Now  the 
land  becomes  low  and  marshy,  and  a  broad  lake 


FLAMINGOES.  135 

glistens  in  the  sun.  Here  are  plenty  of  water-rail, 
blue  kingfishes,  and  metallic  dragon-flies,  the  latter 
skimming  over  the  still  water,  daintily  touching  the 
surface  now  and  again.  Hereabouts  the  woods  and 
open  glades  are  crowded  with  bird  life.  Storks, 
cranes,  ibises,  herons,  pelicans,  and  flamingoes  abound 
in  the  low,  wet  grounds,  marshaling  themselves  in 
long  files,  like  trained  bodies  of  men,  along  the  shore 
of  the  fresh-water  ponds.  The  flamingo  is  called  the 
English  soldier-bird  by  the  natives  because  of  its 
habits,  and  its  pink  epaulets,  which  tip  the  body  joints 
of  its  otherwise  snow-white  wings. 

The  effect  is  indeed  ludicrous  when  a  dozen  or 
more  flamingoes,  each  standing  quietly  upon  one  leg, 
with  its  head  folded  beneath  its  wing,  seem  to  be 
sleeping  in  that  manner.  A  wide-awake  sentinel 
is  always  posted  in  a  commanding  position  to  give 
warning  should  an  enemy  approach.  If  the  caution- 
ary signal  is  given,  all  rise  in  the  air  together,  and 
flying  low,  trail  their  long,  stilt-like  legs  stretched 
far  behind  them.  The  legs  of  the  wading  species 
of  birds  are  not  graceful  appendages.  Most  of  the 
feathered  tribe  have  a  decorous  way  of  gathering  their 
limbs  up  close  to  their  bodies  when  they  launch  upon 
the  wing.  This  would,  however,  be  obviously  impos- 
sible in  the  long-legged  tribe  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred. The  varieties  of  the  crane  family  are  almost 
numberless,  from  the  largest,  which  stands  five  feet 
in  height,  down  to  others  not  taller  than  a  duck.  The 


136  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

water-pheasant,  white  as  the  paper  upon  which  we  are 
writing,  is  a  little  beauty  about  the  size  of  a  dove, 
and  may  often  be  seen  standing  upon  the  broad  lotus 
leaves  pecking  at  the  seeds.  Do  they,  too,  like  hu- 
man lotus-eaters,  seek  oblivion  and  exaltation  through 
the  subtle  narcotic  thus  imbibed  ? 

Now  and  again  we  come  upon  a  bevy  of  pea-fowls 
quietly  feeding  among  the  ferns,  plump  and  beautiful 
creatures,  mottled  with  white  spots  upon  a  glossy, 
slate-colored  ground,  and  nearly  as  large  as  our  aver- 
age domestic  fowls.  In  some  parts  of  Ceylon,  they 
are  found  in  very  large  numbers,  and  as  the  natives 
do  not  disturb  them,  they  are  comparatively  tame. 
We  had  our  suspicions  that  an  occasional  Singhalese 
stretched  his  conscience  sufficiently  to  kill  and  devour 
a  pea-hen.  Though  according  to  his  religious  faith 
the  Buddhist  may  not  himself  sacrifice  life,  he  may 
eat  what  has  been  killed  by  one  of  another  creed. 
"  From  the  meanest  insect  up  to  man,  thou  shalt  not 
kill,"  says  the  first  commandment  of  Buddha.  It 
must  be  admitted  that  the  injunction  is  very  closely 
heeded.  The  fact  is,  the  natives  do  not  crave  meat 
in  this  hot  climate,  and  it  is  easy  to  see  that  with  an 
abundance  of  excellent  fruit  and  vegetables,  supple- 
mented by  an  occasional  meal  of  fresh  or  salted  fish, 
the  diet  of  the  common  people  is  wholesome  and  suffi- 
cient. As  repeatedly  shown,  religious  instinct  protects 
animal  life  among  the  Buddhists,  but  why  an  excep- 
tion is  made  in  regard  to  fish,  it  is  impossible  to 


FLYING-FROGS.  137 

explain.  We  have  met  rigid  Buddhists,  however,  who 
would  not  eat  fish,  —  conscientious  men,  to  whom  the 
life  in  the  sea  was  equally  sacred  with  that  found 
upon  the  land. 

As  regards  the  meat  brought  from  the  forest  and 
jungle  by  European  hunters,  the  average  native  has 
no  compunction  in  eating  of  it,  and  is  the  grateful 
recipient  of  boar  or  bear  carcass  for  food  purposes,  as 
he  has  not  himself  infringed  upon  the  sacred  injunction 
not  to  take  the  life  of  any  creature. 

As  we  wend  our  way  among  the  thick  vegetation 
and  shadowy  trees,  the  wood-pigeon's  soothing,  dron- 
ing notes  fall  upon  the  ear  like  the  melody  of  a  human 
mother  lulling  her  infant  babe  to  sleep.  Now  and 
again  the  jungle-cock  shouts  his  defiant  reveille  in  a 
startling  fashion,  breaking  the  almost  solemn  silence. 
The  unpleasant  squeak  of  the  flying-frog  occasionally 
grates  upon  the  senses,  a  creature  so  called  on  account 
of  its  remarkable  ability  of  springing  from  one  tree 
to  another.  It  is  of  a  rich,  light  green  color,  and 
very  poisonous.  The  author  had  never  heard  of  this 
creature  until  it  introduced  itself  by  means  of  the 
unpleasant  croaking  sound  which  it  sends  forth,  very 
similar  to  that  produced  by  the  action  of  a  rusty  door- 
hinge. 

While  noting  these  things,  it  was  for  the  first  time 
learned  that  the  peacock  is  a  most  destructive  enemy 
of  the  snake  tribe,  to  which  reptiles  he  has  an  invet- 
erate antipathy,  —  why  or  wherefore,  no  one  knows. 


138  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

He  pecks  out  the  snake's  eyes,  in  spite  of  his  fangs. 
The  favorite  food  of  this  gorgeous  bird  is  said  to  be 
the  white  ant,  which  so  abounds  here ;  a  happy  pro- 
vision, whereby  the  multiplying  of  this  insect  pest  is 
in  a  measure  checked.  One  is  prone  to  query  what 
the  white  ant  was  created  for.  Perhaps  it  was  to 
eradicate  some  mightier  and  unknown  curse.  Quien 
sabe  ? 

The  white  ants  are  the  most  extraordinary  crea- 
tures of  the  formican  tribe.  Their  dwellings  are  more 
than  a  thousand  times  higher  than  themselves ;  were 
human  beings  to  construct  their  edifices  upon  the 
same  relative  scale,  we  should  live  in  houses  six  thou- 
sand feet  in  height.  These  ants  are  like  small  white 
slugs  in  appearance,  and  are  said  to  be  delicious  eat- 
ing. Certain  low  castes  in  Ceylon  use  them  as  arti- 
cles of  food.  A  veracious  modern  writer  describes 
them  as  tasting  like  sugared  cream  and  white  al- 
monds. One  could  get  accustomed  to  these  things, 
no  doubt,  but  gnawing  hunger  would  have  to  be  the 
accompanying  sauce  to  tempt  most  Europeans  to  even 
taste  this  peculiar  dish  of  the  tropics.  Are  not  snails 
sold  in  Paris  and  London  as  a  table  luxury  ?  Much 
travel  has  cured  the  author  of  fastidiousness  in  regard 
to  food,  but  he  draws  the  line  at  snails,  ants,  and  cat- 
erpillars. 

There  are  many  peculiarities  which  strike  one  in  a 
tropical  forest,  affording  strong  contrasts  to  ours  of 
the  north,  not  only  in  the  nature  of  the  products,  but 


TROPICAL  FOREST  TREES.  139 

also  in  the  seemingly  incongruous  mingling  of  various 
species  of  trees.  We  have  pine  forests,  oak  forests, 
cedar,  birch,  and  maple  woods ;  but  in  the  low  lati- 
tudes, fruit  and  timber  trees  abide  together  in  utmost 
harmony.  It  would  be  a  singular  sight  in  New  Eng- 
land if  we  were  to  find  peach  or  apple  trees  bearing 
after  their  kind  among  a  forest  of  oaks,  or  cherry 
and  plum  trees  producing  their  fruit  in  a  pine  grove. 
In  a  Ceylon  jungle,  the  banian  and  the  palm,  the 
bread-fruit,  banana,  satinwood,  calamander,  mango, 
and  bamboo,  tamarind,  and  ebony,  mingle  familiarly 
together.  This  is  a  peculiarity  born  of  the  wonderful 
vegetable  productiveness  of  the  equatorial  regions, 
which  seem  to  give  indiscriminative  birth  to  fruits 
and  flowers,  wherever  there  is  sufficient  space  to 
nourish  their  roots  and  to  expand  the  branches. 

Each  one  of  these  tall  forest  trees,  so  various  in 
species  and  so  thrifty  in  growth,  serves  to  sustain 
some  other  vegetable  life,  mostly  in  the  form  of  creep- 
ing, clinging  plants.  Scarcely  one  is  seen  in  the 
jungle  without  its  dependent  of  this  nature,  and  many 
of  them  are  rendered  extremely  lovely  by  rich  festoons 
of  blossoms,  which  they  bear  in  profusion,  reminding 
one  of  the  clusters  of  blue  and  purple  wistarias  so 
common  in  our  country.  A  forest  tree  wreathed  with 
golden  allamandas,  when  seen  for  the  first  time,  is 
a  new  and  never-to-be-forgotten  revelation  of  beauty, 
forming  a  towering  mass  of  bloom.  Nature  is  a 
charming  decorator.  Her  sweet  combinations  never 


140  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

outrage  the  most  delicate,  aesthetic  taste ;  art  may 
imitate,  but  it  cannot  rival  her.  Orchids,  ferns,  and 
the  most  exquisite  mosses  in  myriads  of  shades 
abound,  all  struggling  for  space  to  expand  their 
gorgeous  beauty,  while  blossoms  of  scarlet,  lilac,  and 
purest  white  festoon  the  tallest  stems.  The  loftiest 
forest  trees  are  rarely  without  examples  of  these 
often  lovely  parasites,  adhering  to  and  drawing  life 
from  their  abundant  vitality.  About  some  of  the 
largest  trees,  plain,  stout  vines,  with  rich  leaves  but 
bearing  no  flowers,  are  also  seen  entwined  from  base 
to  top,  binding  the  trunk  upon  which  they  cling  like 
a  huge  piece  of  cordage  or  a  ship's  hawser.  These 
vines,  as  they  grow  from  year  to  year,  tighten  their 
clasp  upon  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  slowly  but  surely 
choking  it,  until  the  circulation  is  stopped,  so  that  it 
finally  gives  up  the  struggle  for  existence,  withers, 
and  dies.  In  the  mean  time,  the  fatal  vine  gradually 
takes  the  place  of  the  original  tree,  fattening  upon 
its  decay,  itself,  after  the  lapse  of  years,  to  be  dis- 
placed in  a  similar  manner.  It  is  an  inevitable  rule 
that  the  parasite  shall  finally  end  by  throttling  its 
adversary,  or  rather  we  should  say  its  victim,  like 
the  Indian  Thug,  who  embraces  only  to  kill.  Thus 
the  process  of  death  and  renewal  in  the  vegetable 
kingdom  goes  on  through  the  centuries  in  these 
lonely,  undisturbed  wilds. 

The  wonderful  stillness  which  reigns  in  some  por- 
tions of  the  dense  forests  of  Ceylon  is  such  that  one 


THE  DEVIL-BIRD.  141 

can  hear  the  tick  of  the  watch  which  he  carries,  —  a 
silence  which  presently  becomes  almost  oppressive, 
putting  one  on  the  very  tiptoe  of  expectation  as  to 
what  startling  outbreak  may  possibly  happen.  When 
a  gentle  breeze  sweeps  past,  the  agitated  leaves 
whisper  to  each  other,  while  one  strives  to  under- 
stand what  they  say  in  their  arboreal  tongue.  If,  by 
chance,  the  uncanny  screech  of  the  devil-bird  is  heard 
under  such  circumstances,  your  native  guides  will 
quickly  hide  their  eyes  in  their  hands,  for,  according 
to  their  credulous  theories  and  superstitions,  they  be- 
lieve if  they  see  a  devil-bird  it  is  the  forerunner  of 
all  manner  of  misfortunes,  among  other  catastrophes 
signifying  sure  death  to  themselves  within  a  twelve- 
month. This  feathered  pariah  is  an  owl-like  creature, 
and  seldom  puts  in  an  appearance  in  the  daytime. 
The  natives  have  a  proverb  expressing  the  idea  that 
to  meet  with  a  white  crow  or  a  straight  cocoanut 

O 

palm  is  equally  unfortunate,  but  the  fact  is,  neither 
is  ever  seen.  Many  of  the  local  axioms,  and  there 
are  myriads  of  them,  are  of  a  similar  character,  pro- 
nouncing a  penalty  as  sure  to  follow  upon  a  supposed, 
but  really  impossible,  occurrence. 

The  growth  of  parasitic  vines,  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred, is  not  by  any  means  confined  to  Ceylon.  It 
is  observable  to  a  certain  extent  on  the  St.  John's 
River,  in  Florida,  and  the  neighboring  wooded  dis- 
tricts. The  author  has  seen  similar  instances  in  the 
forests  of  the  King's  Country,  as  it  is  called,  in  New 


142  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

Zealand,  where  the  native  tribes  maintain  a  quasi 
independence,  though  they  are  really  subject  to 
England.  Here  the  development  of  the  destructive 
vines  is  very  pronounced  and  curious.  After  ascend- 
ing a  tree  by  means  of  an  anaconda-like  embrace,  the 
vine  continues  to  stretch  out  its  length  so  as  to  clasp 
the  branches  of  the  next  nearest  tree,  descending  its 
trunk  by  the  entwining  process  to  the  base.  Thence 
it  proceeds  to  climb  the  next  nearest  stem,  and  so  on, 
until  the  woods  are  rendered  impassable  by  this  insid- 
ious, swift-growing  vegetable  cordage,  forming,  with 
the  undergrowth,  a  jungle  only  penetrable  by  wild 
animals. 

It  is  in  such  jungles  in  Ceylon  that  poisonous  rep- 
tiles do  much  abound,  especially  where  the  land  is  of 
a  marshy  nature,  and  these  places  are  always  avoided, 
even  by  the  Singhalese  themselves.  Local  statistics 
show  that  a  hundred  and  fifty  natives,  on  an  average, 
lose  their  lives  annually  by  snake-bites.  Few  white 
people  are  thus  sacrificed,  they  being  naturally  less 
exposed.  The  native,  inland,  has  no  covering  for  his 
feet  and  legs,  while  the  Europeans  are  always  pro- 
tected in  these  parts  of  the  body,  so  that  if  attacked, 
the  poisonous  fangs  of  the  serpent  rarely  penetrate 
the  skin.  The  bite  of  a  cobra  is  said  to  be  harmless 
if  given  through  woolen  clothing,  as  the  texture  ab- 
sorbs the  virus,  besides  which  the  fangs  of  the  reptile 
under  such  circumstances  are  not  liable  to  penetrate 
the  skin  of  a  white  person. 


RAILWAY  FACILITIES.  143 

In  connection  with  this  typical  route  between  Co- 
lombo and  Galle,  we  have  spoken  of  the  railway, 
which  has  for  some  time  been  gradually  stretching 
from  the  capital  southward.  Probably  before  these 
pages  reach  the  public  eye,  this  long-needed  road  will 
be  in  running  order  between  the  two  cities,  passing 
through  Mount  Lavonia,  —  the  comparatively  cool 
and  pleasant  summer  resort,  —  Morotto,  Panadura, 
Kalatura,  Bentola,  —  famous  for  its  oysters  and  as 
being  the  half-way  station,  —  and  so  on,  through  the 
several  shore  settlements  to  Galle.  This  will  doubt- 
less prove  as  profitable  a  road  as  that  between  Co- 
lombo and  Kandy,  which  paid  its  entire  first  cost  out 
of  the  profits  in  a  few  years  after  its  completion, 
besides  making  good  its  full  interest  account.  It 
should  be  added  that  there  was  no  "  watering  "  of  the 
stock  after  our  American  style,  a  shamefully  deceptive 
and  dishonest  system,  which  has  made  so  many  mil- 
lionaires richer,  and  the  average  citizen  poorer,  in  our 
own  country. 

The  study  of  tropical  flora  and  fauna  is  intensely 
interesting  to  a  lover  of  nature.  Let  us  not,  however, 
presume  too  far  upon  the  reader's  patience,  but  hasten 
to  tell  him  of  Colombo,  the  capital  of  this  Indian 
isle,  together  with  its  people  and  its  attractive  sur- 
roundings. 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

Colombo,  Capital  of  Ceylon.  — Harbor  Facilities.  — The  Breakwater. 

—  Exposed    to   Epidemics.  —  Experiences    on   Landing.  —  Hump- 
Backed  Cattle.  —  Grand  Oriental  Hotel.  —  Singhalese  Waiters.  — 
Galle  Face  Hotel.  —  An  Unusual  Scene.  —  Number  of  Inhabitants. 

—  Black  Town  the  Native  Quarters.  —  Domestic  Scenes.  —  Mon- 
keys. —  Evil    Odors.  —  Humble     Homes.  —  The     Banana-Tree.  — 
Native  Temples  and  Priestly  Customs.  —  Vegetables  and  Fruits.  — 
Woman's  Instinct.  —  Street  Scenes  in  the  Pettah.  —  Fish  Market. 

POINT  DE  GALLE,  situated  seventy  miles  nearer  to 
its  southern  extremity,  was  the  principal  port  of  Cey- 
lon from  time  immemorial,  until  the  English  govern- 
ment turned  the  open  roadstead  of  Colombo  into  an 
excellent  and  safe  artificial  harbor,  by  erecting  an 
extensive  breakwater.  It  is  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful conceptions  of  the  sort  ever  consummated  in  the 
East,  and  was  begun  in  1875,  —  the  Prince  of  Wales 
laying  the  corner-stone,  —  and  completed  in  1884. 
This  was  an  improvement  which  had  long  been  im- 
peratively demanded,  but  which  had  been  deferred 
for  years  on  account  of  the  serious  impediments  which 
presented  themselves  and  the  heavy  expenditure 
which  it  involved.  Previous  to  the  construction  of 
the  breakwater,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  it  was 
nearly  impossible  to  effect  a  landing  at  Colombo, 
owing  to  the  boisterousness  of  the  sea  on  this  part  of 
the  coast  during  the  prevalence  of  the  southwest 


COLOMBO  BREAKWATER.  145 

monsoons.  The  surf-beaten  shore  of  the  Coromandel 
coast  at  the  north  is  scarcely  more  exposed  than  was 
the  open  roadstead  of  this  port.  In  the  shipment  or 
discharge  of  freight,  it  constantly  ran  the  risk  of 
being  ruined  by  salt  water,  the  service  being  neces- 
sarily performed  by  means  of  scows  or  lighters. 
The  well-built  breakwater  has  nearly  remedied  this 
trouble.  It  is  about  a  mile  in  length,  constructed  of 
solid  blocks  of  concrete,  averaging  twenty-five  tons 
each,  and  rises  upon  a  firm  foundation  to  a  uniform 
height  of  fifteen  feet  above  low-water  mark.  The 
outermost  end  is  capped  by  a  lighthouse,  and  is 
curved  inward  almost  at  right  angles  with  the  main 
line  of  the  work,  thus  forming  a  shelter  for  the  an- 
chorage of  shipping.  It  is  now  proposed  to  place  a 
similar  structure  on  the  opposite  or  north  side  of  the 
bay,  leaving  a  suitable  entrance  to  the  harbor.  This 
would  render  the  anchorage  quite  smooth  in  all 
weather,  and  as  safe  for  shipping  as  the  Liverpool 
docks.  When  the  southwest  monsoon  is  in  full 
force,  the  water  breaks  over  the  present  line  to  a 
height  of  forty  feet,  falling  in  harmless  spray  on  the 
inner  side.  The  thorough  and  substantial  character 
of  the  construction  may  be  judged  of  by  its  actual 
cost,  which  was  between  three  and  four  million  dol- 
lars. The  entire  work  was  performed  by  convict 
labor.  The  area  sheltered  from  the  southwest  mon- 
soons is  over  five  hundred  acres,  half  of  which  has 
depths  varying  from  twenty-six  to  forty  feet  at  low 


146  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

tide.  The  breakwater  forms  an  excellent  promenade 
except  in  rough  weather,  and  is  much  improved  for 
that  purpose  by  the  people  who  reside  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. Having  good  anchorage  space,  sufficient 
depth  of  water,  and  a  sheltered  harbor,  Colombo  is 
now  the  regular  port  of  call  for  the  great  steamship 
lines  sailing  to  and  from  China,  Japan,  the  Straits 
Settlements,  Australia,  and  Calcutta,  and  is  justly 
entitled  to  the  name  of  the  commercial  as  well  as  the 
political  capital  of  Ceylon.  In  the  long  past,  it  has 
shared  the  former  honor  with  Point  de  Galle. 

There  is  no  tropical  island,  or  indeed  any  part  of 
the  Orient,  which  has  a  more  prompt  and  frequent 
mail  service  than  has  Colombo,  a  highly  important 
consideration  with  people  who,  aside  from  business 
connections,  desire  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  world 
and  the  times. 

Like  Malta,  the  island  is  so  situated  between  the 
East  and  the  West  as  to  be  exposed  to  any  epidemic 
which  may  prevail  in  either  quarter,  and  which  is 
easily  brought  by  vessels  touching  here  for  coal  or 
freight.  The  author  heard  nothing  of  quarantine 
provisions  or  regulations  enforced  at  Colombo,  but 
there  is  doubtless  some  official  supervision  of  this 
character.  All  persons  who  have  traveled  extensively 
have  encountered  more  or  less  annoyance  from  quar- 
antine regulations,  especially  as  enforced  throughout 
the  East,  but  all  experience  shows  their  necessity. 

We  landed  at  Colombo  on  Christmas  day,  our  bag- 


CRUELTY   TO  ANIMALS.  147 

—  after  a  mere  pretense  of  examination  on  the 

A 

part  of  the  custom-house  officers  —  being  promptly 
put  into  a  two-wheeled,  canvas-covered  bullock  cart, 
beside  which  we  walked  with  open  umbrella,  for  the 
direct  rays  of  the  equatorial  sun  were  almost  unbear- 
able even  at  this  season  of  the  year.  It  was  observed 
that  the  driver  of  the  small,  dun-colored  yoke  of  cat- 
tle attached  to  the  cart  used  no  whip,  and  he  was 
mentally  commended  for  his  humanity.  This,  how- 
ever, was  premature,  for  it  soon  appeared  that  he  had 
an  ingenious  and  cruel  device  whereby  to  urge  his 
oxen  forward.  The  fellow  twisted  their  tails  vigor- 
ously, which  must  have  been  intensely  painful  to  them, 
as  they  showed  by  their  actions.  Not  being  able  to 
speak  Singhalese,  the  author  promptly  applied  the 
same  treatment  to  the  driver's  ears,  an  argument 
which  required  no  interpreter,  and  which  proved  to 
be  both  convincing  and  effectual.  It  was  afterward 
discovered  that  the  tails  of  many  of  the  oxen  here 
were  absolutely  dislocated  from  this  brutal  process, 
used  by  the  drivers  to  urge  them  forward.  Though 
a  Singhalese's  religion  forbids  his  taking  the  life  of 
the  meanest  insect,  it  does  not  seem  to  prevent  his 
torturing  these  really  handsome  and  useful  animals. 
There  is  one  way  in  which  these  mild-eyed,  hump- 
backed creatures  occasionally  assert  themselves  which 
is  somewhat  original,  and  commands  our  hearty  ap- 
proval. When  they  are  overtasked  and  abused  be- 
yond endurance,  they  are  liable  to  lie  down  in  the 


148  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

middle  of  the  roadway,  and  nothing  will  start  them 
until  they  choose  to  get  up  and  proceed  of  their  own 
will.  So  the  overladen  camel  lies  down  upon  the 
desert  sand,  and  will  not  rise  until  his  burden  is 
properly  adjusted. 

While  wilting  in  the  enervating  atmosphere,  as  we 
pursued  our  way  from  the  shore,  the  thought  naturally 
suggested  itself  that  just  then,  on  the  other  side  of 
the  globe,  our  friends  at  home  were  probably  sitting 
before  cheerful  soft-coal  fires  and  quietly  enjoying  the 
genial  heat  and  the  enlivening  blaze.  It  was  also 
remembered  that  Colombo  is  acknowledged  to  be  the 
hottest  city  in  the  Queen  of  England's  dominions. 
The  sun  was  far  too  bright  and  intense  for  unaccus- 
tomed northern  eyes,  and  it  was  a  great  relief  to  reach 
the  shelter  beneath  the  broad  piazza  of  the  hotel, 
though  it  is  but  a  short  distance  from  the  landing. 
We  were  waited  upon  at  the  Grand  Oriental  with  an 
intelligent  and  discerning  regard  for  a  traveler's  com- 
fort, and  assigned  to  large,  cleanly  apartments.  The 
rooms  were  divided  from  each  other  only  by  partial 
partitions,  which  did  not  reach  the  ceilings,  the  upper 
portion  being  left  open  for  the  purpose  of  promoting 
ventilation.  So  intense  is  the  heat  in  Colombo  at 
times  that  this  is  quite  necessary,  though  such  an  ar- 
rangement does  not  permit  of  the  degree  of  privacy 
requisite  for  a  sleeping  apartment.  The  hottest 
months  at  this  point  are  February,  March,  and  April, 
when  all  who  can  do  so  escape  to  the  hill  district. 


THE   ORIENTAL  HOTEL.  149 

The  Oriental  is  an  excellent  and  spacious  hotel, 
containing  over  one  hundred  sleeping-rooms,  with 
ample  retiring  apartments  on  the  first  floor  and  a  din- 
ing-room which  will  seat  three  hundred  guests  at  a 
time.  A  line  of  arcades  is  connected  with  the  house, 
beneath  the  shade  of  which  one  can  go  shopping  at 
the  little  gem  and  curio  stores.  The  hotel  is  built 
about  a  large  central  court  or  area,  which  is  well  filled 
with  thrifty  tropical  vegetation.  The  whole  is  admira- 
bly arranged,  and  is  well  kept  after  American  and 
European  ideas.  While  the  guests  sit  at  meals  in  the 
large  dining-hall,  long  lines  of  punkas  or  fans,  sus- 
pended over  the  tables,  are  operated  by  servants 
placed  outside  of  the  room,  thus  rendering  the  atmos- 
phere quite  endurable,  notwithstanding  the  intense 
heat  which  generally  prevails.  The  waiters  were 
found  to  be  natives,  but  all  spoke  English,  and  were 
well  trained  in  the  performance  of  their  duties. 
Each  one  of  them  wore  a  white  turban,  and  a  single 
white  cotton  garment  cut  like  a  gentleman's  dressing- 
gown,  and  confined  at  the  waist  by  a  crimson  sash. 
The  legs  and  feet  of  these  copper-colored  servants 
were  bare,  after  the  conventional  style  of  such  persons 
throughout  this  island,  as  well  as  in  India  proper. 

One  other  large  house  of  public  entertainment  has 
a  good  reputation,  and  is  certainly  most  favorably  situ- 
ated. It  is  known  as  the  Galle  Face  Hotel,  adjoining 
the  popular  esplanade  of  the  same  name.  This  house 
is  well  patronized,  especially  by  officers  of  the  army 


150  THE  PEARL  OF  INDIA. 

and  navy.  For  a  permanent  residence  it  is  perhaps 
preferable  to  the  Oriental,  on  account  of  its  charming 
maritime  outlook.  There  are  several  other  public 
houses,  but  of  these  two  the  author  can  speak  approv- 
ingly from  personal  experience. 

An  unusual  scene,  which  transpired  on  the  esplanade 
near  the  Galle  Face  Hotel,  occurs  to  us  at  this  writ- 
ing :  — 

One  of  the  bullock  gigs,  so  common  in  Colombo, 
stopped  suddenly  before  that  hostelry.  The  driver, 
who  had  jumped  to  the  ground,  was  examining  the 
animal  with  much  surprise.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
bullock  was  staggering  like  a  drunken  man,  reeling 
hither  and  thither  while  striving  to  keep  upon  its 
feet,  shaking  its  head  strangely  in  a  wild  sort  of 
way,  and  trembling  all  over.  The  thermometer  was 
somewhere  between  95°  and  100°  Fahr.  A  score 
of  idle  and  curious  natives  thronged  about  the  spot, 
entirely  shutting  out  the  circulation  of  what  little 
fresh  air  there  was  stirring.  At  this  moment  a  cav- 
alryman from  the  barracks  hard  by  made  his  way 
into  the  crowd,  and  seizing  the  bullock's  nose  he  bade 
the  driver  hold  him  steadily  by  the  horns.  Taking  a 
knife  from  his  pocket,  the  new-comer  forced  the  ani- 
mal's mouth  open  and  adroitly  made  a  deep  incision 
in  one  of  the  bars  which  form  the  roof,  instantly 
causing  the  blood  to  flow  freely  therefrom.  After  the 
lapse  of  a  very  few  minutes,  the  bullock  recovered, 
standing  once  more  quite  firmly  upon  its  feet,  as  soon 


BLACK  TOWN.  151 

as  the  pressure  upon  its  brain  was  relieved  by  the  flow 
of  blood.  The  creature  had  experienced  an  attack  of 
what  in  horses  is  called  blind-staggers,  produced  by  a 
rush  of  blood  to  the  brain,  undoubtedly  occasioned  in 
this  instance  by  the  great  heat  and  by  over-exertion. 
The  cavalryman's  readiness  with  his  knife  produced 
just  the  sort  of  relief  which  was  required  in  such  an 
exigency. 

"  The  bullock  could  not  have  been  driven  very  fast," 
said  an  English  lady,  who  had  regarded  the  scene  in- 
tently from  the  piazza  of  the  hotel,  "  because  it  does 
not  perspire  at  all ;  see,  its  hide  is  perfectly  dry." 

"  That  sort  of  hanimal  does  n't  sweat  only  on  the 
nose,"  said  the  cavalryman,  as  he  coolly  wiped  his 
knife  and  returned  it  to  his  pocket,  adding,  "  'Orses 
does,  but  hoxen  does  n't." 

It  is  a  noticeable  fact  thaj;  European  horses  cannot 
endure  the  climate  of  Ceylon;  some  which  are  im- 
ported from  Australia  manage  to  give  satisfaction 
for  a  limited  period.  The  breeding  of  these  animals 
is  not  a  success  in  the  island,  and  the  natives  do  not 
use  them  at  all. 

Colombo  has  a  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  inhab- 
itants, and  is  divided  into  what  is  known  as  The  Fort 
and  Black  Town,  the  former  being  the  portion  devoted 
to  the  official  quarters  and  the  residences  of  the  Eng- 
lish, the  latter  mostly  to  the  very  humble  homes  of 
the  natives.  Black  Town  is  quite  oriental  and  very 
dirty,  dispensing  a  most  unmistakable  odor  like  a 


152  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

faint  tincture  of  musk.  It  stretches  along  the  harbor 
front  for  more  than  a  mile,  until  it  ends  at  the  Kalaiii 
River,  and  contains  a  most  heterogeneous  mingling  of 
races,  each  individual  decked  in  some  distinctive  garb 
of  his  original  nationality,  the  majority,  however, 
exhibiting  only  the  bronzed  skin  covering  to  their 
bones  which  nature  provides.  Even  these  nude  figures 
form  an  anomalous  sight,  often  having  their  heads  cov- 
ered with  monstrous,  elaborate  white  turbans,  and  only 
a  thin  piece  of  cotton  about  their  loins.  The  houses, 
or  cabins  as  they  would  more  properly  be  called,  are 
of  one  story,  dingy  and  poor,  generally  constructed  of 
mud  upon  bamboo  frames,  with  a  thatched  roof  of 
dried  palm  leaves  so  braided  together  as  to  make  a 
stout  and  secure  protection  from  the  rain.  The  fronts 
of  these  simple  houses  are  quite  open,  revealing  all 
sorts  of  domestic  habits  •  incident  to  native  life,  and 
very  often  outraging  one's  sense  of  propriety.  Men 
or  women  care  nothing  for  publicity,  and  do  not  hesi- 
tate in  the  conduct  of  affairs  which  are  strictly  of  a 
personal  nature. 

If  one  desires  a  remedy  for  over-fastidiousness,  let 
him  stroll  for  a  while  about  this  native  portion  of 
Colombo.  He  will  open  his  eyes  in  surprise  now  and 
then,  but  it  is  astonishing  how  soon  one  becomes 
indifferent  to  the  most  peculiar  local  customs,  whether 
in  Samoa,  Japan,  or  among  the  Alaska  Indians. 
The  lazy  Singhalese  or  Tamil  men  lying  half  asleep 
upon  the  ground,  the  women,  semi-nude,  cooking  fisl? 


GAMBLING.  153 

over  a  brazier  in  the  open  air,  and  a  group  of  naked 
children  playing  in  the  roadway,  form  a  common 
tableau  in  this  quarter  of  the  town.  Every  necessity 
seems  to  be  provided  for  by  the  salubrity  of  the  climate 
and  the  spontaneity  of  the  soil.  Enterprise,  emula- 
tion, ambition,  are  to  these  people  unknown  incentives 
to  action.  The  height  of  their  desire  is  plenty  of 
sleep  and  plenty  to  eat. 

The  scene  is  occasionally  varied  by  a  group  of  men 
sitting  upon  their  heels  and  absorbed  in  gambling  for 
small  sums  of  money.  It  should  be  stated  here  that 
the  natives,  Singhalese,  Tamils,  Moormen,  or  of  what- 
ever tribe,  are  all  inveterate  gamblers ;  only  the 
Chinese  can  equal  them  in  this  propensity  to  risk 
all  they  possess  upon  the  cast  of  the  dice,  or  in  bet- 
ting upon  some  other  trivial  game.  We  were  told  of 
instances  where  the  gambler,  having  lost  everything 
else,  staked  the  possession  of  his  wife  against  his  op- 
ponent's money,  and,  losing,  the  woman  quietly  acqui- 
esced in  consummating  the  arrangement.  Women  of 
the  humbler  castes  are  looked  upon  more  as  slaves 
than  as  filling  any  other  relation  to  those  whom  they 
call  their  husbands.  As  a  rule,  they  would  not  think 
of  asserting  any  will  of  their  own.  As  their  hus- 
bands are  abject  slaves  to  the  idea  of  caste,  so  they 
are  slaves  to  their  husbands,  and  however  roughly 
they  are  treated  by  them,  they  take  it  quite  as  a 
matter  of  course.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  island 
especially,  each  village  has  its  cock-pit  and  its  gam- 


154  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

bling-den ;  while  hard  by  is  the  drinking-cabin, 
where  for  a  few  pennies  a  native  can  get  very  drunk 
on  arrack. 

At  some  of  the  low-thatched  cabins  in  the  Pettah, 
or  Black  Town,  we  see  a  tame  parrot  or  a  pet  mon- 
key confined  within  certain  bounds  by  a  small  chain. 
If  the  former,  he  is  likely  to  be  imitating  the  bois- 
terous exclamations  of  the  children ;  if  the  latter, 
finding  no  mischief  possible,  he  sits  chin  in  hand, 
with  a  ludicrously  grave  expression  on  his  too  human 
features.  The  ever-present  crows  take  good  care  to 
keep  out  of  the  monkey's  reach,  but  perch  familiarly 
and  fearlessly  anywhere  else  about  the  cabins.  There 
are  several  varieties  of  monkeys  in  the  island.  The 
black  wanderoo  of  Ceylon  with  white  whiskers  comes 
nearest  in  its  resemblance  to  the  human  face.  He 
stands  three  feet  high,  and  weighs  between  seventy 
and  eighty  pounds,  being  remarkable  for  muscular 
strength.  The  lower  and  the  upper  jaw  are  in  a 
direct  line  with  the  forehead,  while  most  of  the  race 
have  projecting  jaws. 

The  streets  and  environs  of  Constantinople  are  ren- 
dered hardly  more  disagreeable  by  the  presence  of 
mongrel  curs  than  is  Black  Town,  Colombo.  Dogs 
abound,  thoroughly  useless  creatures,  which  should 
have  been  born  jackals,  and  which  are  perhaps  partly 
breeds  from  that  source.  They  are  melancholy,  half- 
starved,  wretched,  and  mangy  creatures,  sleeping  all 
day,  and  prowling  about  at  night  in  search  of  some 


RECKLESS  PEOPLE.  155 

stray  bit  of  carrion  which  has  escaped  the  vigilance 
of  the  crows.  Why  they  are  tolerated  no  one  can 
say,  neither  does  any  one  acknowledge  their  owner- 
ship. Occasionally  one  runs  mad,  causing  by  his  bite 
a  half-dozen  natives  to  do  likewise,  when  death  is 
certain.  Hydrophobia  is  never  cured,  not  even  by 
the  devil-dancers  of  Ceylon.  The  normal  appearance 
of  these  dogs  is  that  of  abject  fear,  as  they  move 
about  with  heads  drooping  and  their  tails  pressed 
close  between  their  hind  legs.  A  harsh  word  sends 
them  off  at  top  speed,  while  a  kind  one  brings  out 
their  instinctive  fondness  for  the  human  race.  Still, 
they  are  nuisances  in  Ceylon,  and  of  no  earthly  good 
to  any  mortal. 

Evil  odors  are  inseparable  from  the  native  quar- 
ters. That  goes  without  saying,  and  i$  is  surprising 
.that  pestilence  does  not  run  riot  here.  Dirt  and  con- 
tagious diseases  certainly  thrive  in  the  same  atmos- 
phere, and  yet  one  often  sees  sanitary  laws,  as  we 
construe  them,  deliberately  outraged  without  any  such 
results  as  our  best  reason  would  lead  us  to  expect. 
The  author  was  in  Rio  Janeiro  not  long  since,  at  a 
time  when  the  yellow  fever  was  proving  fatal  to  fifty 
or  sixty  persons  daily.  In  the  Plaza  Don  Pedro  Sec- 
ond, numbers  of  idle,  lazy  fellows  lay  half  drunk,  or 
wholly  so,  sleeping  on  the  benches  under  a  vertical 
sun.  Some  were  quite  unconscious,  even  lying  upon 
the  damp  ground.  Apropos  of  our  remark  that  these 
people  were  inviting  the  fever,  an  intelligent  resident, 


156  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

who  was  our  companion,  calmly  answered :  "  Yellow 
Jack  does  not  choose  that  class  for  its  victims.  They 
seem  to  enjoy  complete  immunity  from  the  pesti- 
lence." Seeing  was  believing,  but  it  was  also  con- 
founding to  one's  sense  of  the  eternal  fitness  of  things. 

Generally,  the  scenes  and  experiences  are  not  quite 
pleasant  as  presented  to  the  stranger  who  visits  Black 
Town,  Colonibo,  for  the  first  time.  As  he  becomes 
more  familiar  with  the  surroundings,  however,  a  pic- 
turesque aspect,  a  depth  of  rich  brown  shadows  and 
bits  of  vivid  color,  unite  to  form  a  pleasing  and  at- 
tractive whole. 

Adjoining  each  of  these  humble  homes  which  line 
the  thoroughfares,  or  perhaps  just  in  the  rear  of 
them,  one  is  sure  to  find  clusters  of  bread-fruit, 
banana,  and  mango  trees,  often  dominated  by  a  tall, 
gracefully  bending  cocoanut  palm  of  columnar  propor- 
tions. The  product  of  these  several  fruit-bearers 
goes  far  towards  feeding  the  inmates  of  the  cabin, 
about  which  they  also  cast  delightful  and  much- 
needed  shade.  Nothing  is  more  ornamental  under 
such  circumstances  than  the  large,  drooping,  pale 
green  leaves  of  the  generously  yielding  banana,  con- 
trasting with  the  golden  yellow  bunches  of  the  ripe 
fruit.  The  nutritious  properties  of  the  banana  are 
far  in  excess  of  any  other  known  vegetable  food. 
African  explorers  have  told  the  author  that  in  an 
emergency,  when  threatened  with  famine,  they  have 
sustained  life  and  strength  for  themselves  and  their 


THE  BANANA.  157 

followers  upon  two  bananas  a  day  for  six  consecutive 
days,  all  the  time  engaged  in  the  hardest  sort  of  foot- 
travel  through  the  pathless  forest.  The  banana-tree 
renews  itself  annually,  growing  to  a  height  of  ten  or 
twelve  feet,  and  bearing  heavy  clusters  of  from  sixty 
to  a  hundred  individual  fruits,  green  at  first,  but 
golden  in  hue  when  ripe.  After  bearing  its  fruit,  the 
tree  wilts  and  decays  like  a  cornstalk,  but  in  due  time 
again  springs  up  from  the  roots  to  bear  another 
annual  luxuriant  crop.  One  clever  writer  tells  us 
that  the  banana  is  "  the  devil's  agent,"  because  the 
abundant  food  supply  which  it  affords,  demanding 
so  little  of  man  in  return,  is  a  promoter  of  idleness. 
It  is  asserted  that  one  acre  of  these  trees  will  yield 
as  much  nutritious  matter  as  sixty  acres  of  wheat, 
which  seems  almost  incredible.  In  many  countries 
this  fruit  is  the  staff  of  life,  flourishing  as  far  as 
thirty-five  degrees  south  and  thirty-eight  north  of  the 
equator. 

There  may  be  poverty  here,  —  it  is  to  be  found 
nearly  everywhere  if  sought  for,  —  but  there  is  no  ab- 
ject want  visible,  for  these  Singhalese  homes  are  all 
surrounded  by  plenty.  The  mere  physical  support  of 
life  seems  abundantly  provided  for,  however  the  moral 
conditions  may  strike  the  careful  observer. 

Is  it  not  a  singular  provision  of  nature  that  where 
vegetation  is  most  thrifty,  where  fruits  and  flowers 
grow  in  wildest  exuberance,  elevated  humanity 
thrives  the  least? 


158  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

A  very  humble  class  of  Moormen,  Malays,  Sin- 
ghalese, and  Tamils,  together  with  Syrian  Jews  and 
the  like,  a  mixed  and  motley  population,  constitute 
the  larger  portion  of  the  community  in  the  Pettah, 
but  there  are  some  buildings,  shops,  bazaars,  and 
residences  of  a  better  class  than  those  we  have 
described.  Such  are  mostly  occupied  by  Parsees 
and  Moormen,  so  that  Black  Town  is  not  quite  so 
"  black "  as  might  seem  to  the  casual  reader.  The 
Moormen  wear  an  impossible  sort  of  hat,  tall  and 
brimless ;  others  have  sensible,  broad-brimmed  pana- 
mas,  and  some  don  the  picturesque  fez  so  universal 
in  the  East.  The  sienna-colored  Singhalese  proper 
are  descended  from  the  early  conquerors  of  the  island, 
the  dark -brown  Tamils  from  later  invaders  who 
came  from  southern  India,  and  the  copper-colored 
Moormen  from  the  Arab  merchants  who  came  hither 
to  trade  for  spices  many  centuries  ago.  The  Sin- 
ghalese have  long,  straight,  black  and  silky  hair,  and 
are  nearly  always  bareheaded.  The  Tamils  as  in- 
variably wear  turbans.  According  to  the  rules  of 
caste,  the  Singhalese,  being  superior,  has  a  right  to  go 
bareheaded,  a  privilege  which  is  not  allowed  to  the 
Tamils.  This  absurdity  is  on  a  par  with  the  average 
rules  relating  to  caste  as  enforced  in  India  and  Cey- 
lon. Of  the  rights  recognized  under  the  system, 
none  is  more  jealously  guarded  than  that  of  carrying 
an  umbrella  to  shield  the  bearer  from  the  fiery  heat 
of  the  sun,  or  the  pitiless  down-pour  of  equatorial 


IN  BLACK   TOWN.  159 

rains.  In  the  olden  times,  in  Kandy,  only  royalty  and 
the  priesthood  were  allowed  the  privilege.  To  the 
average  foreigner  in  continental  India  and  Ceylon, 
the  arbitrary  rule  of  caste  seems  to  be  the  merest 
nonsense  possible  to  conceive  of,  but  to  the  natives 
it  is  a  matter  of  most  serious  consideration,  and  is 
rigidly  adhered  to  in  all  their  daily  relations  with 
each  other. 

Here  and  there  one  comes  upon  a  Buddhist  or 
Hindu  temple,  and  now  we  pause  before  a  Moham- 
medan mosque.  Each  sect  is  eminently  devout  after 
its  own  fashion,  and  all  are  at  liberty  to  follow  the 
dictates  of  their  own  consciences.  Two  of  our  party 
having  thoughtlessly  entered  one  of  the  Hindu 
sanctuaries  without  removing  their  shoes,  great  in- 
dignation was  expressed  by  some  natives  near  at 
hand,  and  for  a  few  moments  it  really  appeared  as 
though  a  downright  fight  would  ensue.  However, 
peace  was  restored  at  last  by  complying  with  the  cus- 
tom of  the  place,  and  promenading  daintily  through 
the  temple  in  our  stockings.  Additional  backsheesh 
was  also  awarded  to  the  custodian  of  the  shrine  to 
pacify  his  wounded  sensibilities.  Before  we  left  the 
spot,  everybody  was  quite  serene.  To  the  author,  the 
most  curious  part  of  this  experience  was  that  our 
little  party  wore  their  hats  through  it  all,  no  objec- 
tion being  made.  European  etiquette  demands  of 
one  to  uncover  the  head  as  a  mark  of  respect  on 
special  occasions,  but  the  barbaric,  or  rather  the 


160  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

oriental  fashion,  is  to  uncover  the  feet.  There  are 
many  curious  points  of  difference  in  symbols  of  re- 
spect. The  Tamil  covers  his  head  with  an  ample 
turban  out  of  deference  to  those  of  a  higher  caste, 
while  the  Singhalese  proper  would  not  think  it  re- 
spectful to  wear  anything  upon  his  head  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  superior.  A  Chinaman  lets  down  his 
braided  pigtail  as  a  mark  of  respect  to  those  above 
him  in  rank,  or  as  a  token  of  reverence  in  the  temple, 
while  a  Singhalese  twists  his  braid  into  a  snood  at 
the  back  of  his  head,  and  secures  it  by  a  shell  comb, 
for  the  same  purpose. 

The  display  of  vegetables  and  fruit  offered  for  sale 
on  improvised  benches  or  tables  outside  of  the  cabins, 
forming  groups  vivid  in  color  and  novel  in  shape,  is 
interesting  to  a  stranger.  The  collection  includes 
pumpkins,  sweet  potatoes,  oranges,  pineapples,  man- 
goes, guavas,  and  bananas,  together  with  zapotas,  rose- 
apples,  limes,  yams,  and  many  other  varieties.  They 
are  often  arranged  upon  broad  leaves,  fresh  and  green, 
which  impart  to  them  a  refreshing  air  of  coolness. 
Some  large,  handsome  bunches  of  grapes  were  ob- 
served, for  which  a  high  price  was  asked  (thirty  cents 
per  pound).  These  came  from  the  northern  part  of 
the  island,  on  the  peninsula  of  Jaffna,  where  they  are 
raised  in  small  quantities.  Ripe  oranges  in  Ceylon 
have  a  queer  habit  of  reaching  that  palatable  condi- 
tion while  quite  green  externally.  They  are  very 
sweet,  having  a  thin  skin  and  plenty  of  juice,  together 


MIXED  RACES.  161 

with  a  flavor  equal  to  those  of  the  Indian  River  dis- 
trict in  Florida,  and  superior  to  those  of  California. 
Prices  are  very  moderate ;  a  large  ripe  pineapple  costs 
twopence,  and  half  a  dozen  oranges  are  sold  for  the 
same  sum.  Statistics  show  that  between  nine  and  ten 
thousand  acres  are  devoted  to  the  raising  of  pine- 
apples in  Ceylon,  where  they  ripen  to  great  perfection. 
The  little  open-air  shops  are  called  "caddies,"  and 
are  always  presided  over  by  native  women,  who,  under 
an  air  of  oriental  indifference  as  to  whether  you  pur- 
chase their  wares  or  not,  are  yet  exercised  by  sup- 
pressed eagerness  to  have  you  do  so.  A  few  of  these 
simple  caddies  were  observed  to  be  prettily  decorated 
with  wreaths  of  myrtle,  yellow  flowers,  and  wisps  of 
sweet  lemon  grass,  hung  on  either  side  of  the  fruit, 
dispensing  an  exquisite  fragrance  which  dominated  all 
the  offensive  odors  of  the  locality.  This  arrangement 
betrayed  a  woman's  hand,  prompted  by  a  certain  deli- 
cacy of  fancy  and  an  eye  for  natural  beauty.  There 
always  exists  this  half -effaced  charm  within  the  bosom 
of  the  humblest  of  the  sex,  whether  in  Crim  Tartary, 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  or  the  Parisian  boulevards. 
The  surroundings  are  kaleidoscopic  in  effect,  com- 
posed of  contrasting  races,  bronzed  men  in  white  tur- 
bans, native  women  very  nearly  nude,  queer  physiog- 
nomies, busy  itinerant  salesmen,  boisterous  children 
covered  only  by  their  copper-colored  skins,  mingling 
with  native  domestic  servants  in  fancy  dresses  of  red 
and  yellow,  and  bejeweled  nurses,  sent  by  their  Euro- 


162  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

pean  mistresses  to  purchase  some  favorite  fruit.  The 
scene  is  constantly  shifting,  and  the  combinations 
rapidly  changing.  Every  fresh  visit  to  this  portion 
of  Colombo  reveals  some  new  phases  of  oriental  life, 
which  are  often  recalled  to  the  mind's  eye  when  one 
is  far  away  and  compassed  by  very  different  sur- 
roundings. 

Native  women  pass  and  repass,  bearing  upon  their 
heads  broad,  shallow  baskets  full  of  ripe  fruit  or 
vegetables,  on  their  way  to  the  English  portion  of  the 
town,  while  other  itinerants  offer  dark  brown  edible 
cakes  made  from  mysterious  sources.  The  great 
weight  which  a  Singhalese  or  Tamil  woman  can  carry 
on  her  head  is  something  marvelous,  far  exceeding 
that  of  an  Irish  laborer's  hod  of  bricks  or  mortar 
borne  upon  the  shoulder.  The  humbler  class  of 
Eastern  women  all  practice  this  mode  of  transporting 
merchandise  from  the  period  of  their  early  childhood, 
hence  their  steady  upright  pose  when  walking, 
whether  bearing  any  burden  or  not.  An  Egyptian, 
Indian,  or  Singhalese  woman  who  had  a  quart  pitcher 
of  liquid  to  convey  any  distance  would  not  carry  it  in 
her  hands,  but  would  place  it  on  the  top  of  her  head 
for  safety  and  convenience.  As  a  rule,  the  men  do 
not  carry  burdens  upon  their  heads,  but  when  trans- 
porting merchandise,  they  wear  upon  their  necks  and 
shoulders  a  sort  of  yoke  with  protruding  arms,  upon 
which  a  couple  of  stout  baskets  hang,  balancing  each 
other,  and  containing  the  goods.  One  Tamil  woman 


QUEER  FISH.  163 

was  noticed  with  a  bevy  of  paroquets  for  sale,  so  tame 
that  they  crept  about  her  head,  arms,  and  shoulders, 
being  occasionally  treated  to  some  favorite  tidbit  from 
her  lips.  She  formed  a  pretty  picture  with  her  mot- 
tled green  pets,  an  evidence  also  of  what  kindness 
and  gentleness  will  accomplish. 

The  admirable  display  of  fresh  fish  in  the  market 
is  of  great  variety  in  shape  and  color,  testifying  to 
an  abundant  food  supply  afforded  by  the  neighboring 
waters.  Six  hundred  kinds  of  fish  have  been  cata- 
logued by  scientists  as  being  found  on  this  coast. 
The  river  fish  are  of  poor  quality. 

Doubtless  the  reader  has  heard  of  the  "climbing 
perch,"  a  tropical  fish  which  is  partially  amphibious, 
and  which  abounds  in  Ceylon.  It  can  make  its  way 
over  the  land  for  considerable  distances  in  search  of 
the  nearest  water-course,  when  its  native  pond  becomes 
dry.  There  is  also  another  eccentric  piscatory 
creature  here  known  as  the  "burying  fish,"  which, 
when  the  water  subsides,  makes  its  way  down  into  the 
muddy  bottom  of  the  lake  or  pond,  where  it  hibernates 
until  the  rain  again  furnishes  it  with  its  natural  ele- 
ment, —  a  veritable  "  fish  story,"  but  we  were  assured 
of  its  truth.  At  Batticaloa,  the  capital  of  the  eastern 
province,  there  is  a  lake  in  which  "  singing  fish  "  are 
found.  Over  these  aquatic  curiosities  scientists  have 
held  many  interesting  sessions.  What  with  burying 
fish,  climbing  perch,  and  singing  fish,  Ceylon  would 
seem  to  have  rather  more  than  her  just  share  of 
piscatory  curiosities. 


164  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

When  the  dry  season  sets  in  and  the  watercourses 
cease  to  flow,  the  Ceylon  elephant  deliberately  digs 
himself  a  well  in  the  sandy  bed  of  the  rivers,  using  for 
the  purpose  both  his  ivory  grubbers  and  the  horny 
toes  of  his  forefeet.  Digging  a  few  feet  downwards 
generally  brings  water  for  the  quenching  of  the  huge 
animal's  thirst.  Unerring  instinct  (superior  to  human 
reason)  guides  him  in  selecting  the  proper  spot  in 
which  to  dig  his  well,  to  which  he  returns  daily,  and 
when  the  season  of  drought  is  prolonged,  he  sometimes 
deepens  it.  When  the  severity  of  a  Norwegian  winter 
exhausts  all  other  sources  of  food  supply  for  the 
herds,  the  deer  dig  with  their  forefeet  deep  through 
the  snow  to  reach  the  reindeer  moss  upon  which  to 
browse.  They  make  no  mistake  in  selecting  the  right 
spot,  but  always  find  the  moss  where  they  dig.  The 
most  experienced  owners  of  the  herds  would  be  puz- 
zled to  indicate  the  proper  places  to  seek  the  moss 
beneath  the  deep  snow. 

In  contradistinction  to  all  oriental  ideas  and  the 
eternal  fitness  of  things,  while  we  watch  the  passing 
show  of  native  life,  our  ears  are  saluted  by  the  dis- 
cordant notes  of  a  bass  drum,  a  bugle,  and  a  fife. 
Presently  there  comes  into  view  a  score  or  less  of 
Europeans  of  both  sexes,  the  men  wearing  a  sort  of 
uniform  cloth  cap,  and  the  half-dozen  women,  poke 
bonnets.  Of  course  they  represent  the  Salvation 
Army.  How  sadly  out  of  place  they  seem  to  be  here ! 
These  "  missionaries,"  as  they  call  themselves,  have 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY.  165 

never  been  known  to  make  a  proselyte  from  this 
brown-skinned  people,  so  far  as  we  could  learn,  while 
they  are  generally  regarded  by  the  Europeans  as  a 
class  who  have  taken  up  with  this  craze  as  a  last  re- 
sort after  having  exhausted  all  other  means  in  their 
endeavors  to  obtain  a  living  without  working  for  it. 
Still  it  must  be  admitted  that  there  never  was  a  fad 
or  folly,  however  absurd,  without  some  honest  dis- 
ciples, —  weak,  but  conscientious  advocates. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

The  English  Part  of  Colombo.  —  Army  Reserves.  —  Ceylon  an  Inde- 
pendent Colony.  —  "A  Paternal  Despotism."  —  Educational  Facil- 
ities. —  Buddhism  versus  Christianity.  —  Public  Buildings.  —  The 
Museum.  —  Domestic  Dwellings.  —  Suburb  of  Colpetty. —  The  Lake 
of  Colombo.  —  A  Popular  Driveway.  —  A  Sunset  Scene.  —  Excur- 
sion to  the  Kelani  Temple.  —  The  Jinrikisha.  —  Current  Diseases. 
—  Native  Jugglers.  —  Hypnotism.  —  Houdon,  the  French  Magician, 
astonishes  the  Natives.  —  The  Thieving  Crows. 

IN  that  part  of  Colombo  known  as  the  Fort,  and 
situated  south  of  the  Pettah,  the  English  have  spacious 
and  well-arranged  barracks,  of  sufficient  size  to  ac- 
commodate five  thousand  men  of  all  arms.  Of  course, 
no  such  force  is  required  in  Ceylon,  and  there  are  not 
such  a  number  of  troops  here  at  the  present  writing. 
The  island  is  peaceful  enough,  but  the  object  of  the 
British  government  is  to  maintain  here,  as  well  as  at 
Malta,  a  body  of  disciplined  men  ready  for  immediate 
service,  and  especially  prepared  to  reinforce  the  army 
of  India  in  case  of  an  emergency.  The  judiciousness 
of  this  precaution  was  well  illustrated  in  1857,  when 
this  station,  from  its  small  military  force,  afforded 
such  material  aid  at  the  outbreak  of  what  the  English 
call  the  Indian  mutiny,  before  alluded  to. 

This  island,  though  it  is  a  British  colony  like  India, 
so  near  at  hand,  is  quite  separate  from  it  in  govern- 
mental organization.  Ceylon  is  presided  over  by  a 


EDUCATIONAL.  167 

governor  appointed  by  the  Queen  of  England,  who 
is  aided  in  his  official  position  by  an  executive 
council  and  a  small  legislative  body  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  individuals.  Some  one  has  called  the  govern- 
ment of  Ceylon  "a  paternal  despotism."  All  ordi- 
nances are  submitted  to  the  approval  of  Her  Majesty 
before  they  become  registered  law.  The  island  is 
divided  into  provinces,  each  governed  by  a  civil  ser- 
vant, having  under  him  a  staff  of  European  and 
native  assistants.  The  Roman-Dutch  law,  so  termed, 
is  the  law  of  the  island  in  all  cases  not  otherwise  pro- 
vided for.  The  government  furnishes  means  for  the 
education  of  the  rising  generation,  in  the  form  of  free 
schools,  which  advantage,  though  not  universally  im- 
proved, is  yet  reasonably  successful.  This  is  particu- 
larly commendable  when  it  is  remembered  that  the 
government  of  England  has  remained  far  behind  other 
civilized  countries  in  cultivating  the  intelligence  of 
her  people  at  home.  It  was  not  until  so  late  as  1870 
that  she  entered  upon  a  system  of  free  schools  for  the 
masses.  The  natives  of  Colombo  are  shrewd  enough, 
in  many  cases,  to  see  material  good  in  giving  their 
children  regular  school  instruction,  though  they  have 
not  themselves  enjoyed  such  a  privilege.  In  this  con- 
nection it  is  well  to  speak  of  St.  Thomas'  College, 
which  is  situated  in  the  northeast  suburb  of  the  capi- 
tal, about  a  couple  of  miles  from  the  Grand  Oriental 
Hotel,  close  by  Christ  Church  Cathedral.  This  col- 
lege is  near  the  shore,  in  a  most  healthful  and  airy 


168  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

location,  the  suburb  being  known  as  Mutwal,  where 
the  Kelani  River  enters  the  sea.  Here,  between  two 
and  three  hundred  young  men,  composed  of  Singha- 
lese, Tamils,  and  the  descendants  of  Portuguese  and 
Dutch  colonists,  are  in  constant  attendance.  Close  at 
hand  there  is  also  a  high  school  for  girls,  admirably 
conducted,  whose  educational  advantages  are  availed 
of  by  a  goodly  number  of  natives. 

Here  let  us  diverge  for  a  single  moment. 

Secular  education  is  the  true  and  only  available 
missionary  among  Asiatic  tribes.  Honest  and  expe- 
rienced religionists  are  beginning  to  see  and  admit  the 
correctness  of  this  conclusion.  The  preaching  to 
them  by  various  Christian  sects  of  very  contradictory 
tenets  of  faith  confuses  these  simple  people,  who  are 
still  often  shrewd  enough  to  detect  broad  inconsis- 
tencies, as  well  as  to  analyze  and  reason  concerning 
missionary  efforts  among  them.  They  say  very  logi- 
cally to  those  representatives  who  are  sent  from 
America  or  Europe :  "  We  are  agreed  here  upon  Bud- 
dhism. When  you  Christians  can  agree  among  your- 
selves as  to  which  of  your  many  doctrines  is  the  right 
one,  it  will  be  time  enough  for  you  to  try  to  teach 
us  to  discard  a  faith  which  our  fathers  have  believed 
for  thousands  of  years."  More  than  one  intelligent 
Singhalese  has  expressed  himself  to  this  effect  in  our 
presence.  We  leave  it  to  the  reader  if  these  people 
are  not  perfectly  logical  in  their  position. 

Who  can  wonder  that  confusion  inevitably  arises  in 


ENGLISH  QUARTERS.  169 

the  simple  mind  of  a  native  of  this  Indian  isle,  who 
attempts  to  reconcile  our  multitudinous  sects  and 
schisms  ? 

We  were  speaking  of  the  English  portion  of  Co- 
lombo, which  consists  of  a  few  broad  streets  shaded 
by  thrifty  tulip-trees,  an  official  residence  known  as 
Government  House,  the  long  line  of  barracks  already 
referred  to,  a  cathedral,  a  clock-tower  (serving  also 
as  a  lighthouse),  a  club-house,  hospital,  some  indif- 
ferent shops,  two  or  three  banking  establishments,  a 
public  library,  and  three  or  four  large  hotels.  The 
Colombo  Library  is  situated  on  the  corner  of  Queen 
Street,  and  contains  some  twenty-five  thousand  vol- 
umes. Its  facilities  are  freely  shared  by  strangers  as 
well  as  by  the  citizens.  The  lighthouse  referred  to  is 
a  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet  above  sea  level ;  that 
on  the  end  of  the  breakwater  is  a  trifle  less  than  forty 
feet.  The  former  shows  a  triple  flash  at  brief  inter- 
vals, visible  at  night  some  twenty  miles  at  sea. 
Among  its  ancient  buildings,  much  interest  centres 
upon  the  Dutch  church,  and  its  curious  old  grave- 
yard. 

There  are  no  less  than  six  newspapers  published  in 
this  circumscribed  community ;  two  are  in  Singha- 
lese, one  in  Tamil,  and  three  in  English.  We  do  not 
imagine  that  they  have  much  of  a  circulation,  and  yet 
unless  they  were  self-supporting  they  would  not  prob- 
ably be  issued.  Type-setting  is  cheap  in  Colombo, 
and  the  quality  of  the  paper  used  is  inexpensive. 


170  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

The  Museum  of  Colombo  is  a  rather  handsome  and 
quite  substantial  two-story  building,  situated  near  Vic- 
toria Park,  which  was  formerly  a  part  of  the  famous 
Cinnamon  Gardens,  originally  planted  by  the  Dutch. 
The  collection  of  curiosities  in  the  museum  embraces 
a  large  number,  which  have  been  found  mostly  upon 
the  island,  and  includes  many  interesting  specimens  of 
preserved  birds,  together  with  large  and  small  native 
animals  and  beautiful  shells.  There  are  also  some 
literary  and  historical  treasures  relating  to  Ceylon 
preserved  here,  among  which  is  a  rare  collection  of 
palm-leaf  manuscripts,  both  in  Pali  and  Singhalese, 
bound  after  an  original  fashion.  The  edifice,  which 
was  built  in  1877,  is  pleasantly  situated,  and  sur- 
rounded by  well-arranged,  cultivated  grounds.  The 
entrance  is  free  to  all. 

Near  the  Colombo  terminus  of  the  Kandy  road  is 
the  pleasant  public  resort  known  as  the  Gordon  Gar- 
dens, named  in  honor  of  Sir  Arthur  Gordon,  a  former 
governor  of  Ceylon.  This  area  was  his  personal  gift 
to  the  capital  in  memory  of  the  jubilee  of  Her  Maj- 
esty's reign.  The  gardens  are  rendered  very  attrac- 
tive on  each  Friday  afternoon  by  the  performance  of 
a  military  band;  free  outdoor  instrumental  concerts 
are  also  given  every  week  011  the  Galle  Face. 

A  few  of  the  better  class  of  dwelling-houses  in  Co- 
lombo are  finished  externally  in  stucco,  all  having  the 
inevitable  and  indispensable  broad  veranda.  Sur- 
rounding these  homes  honeysuckles,  crimson  hibiscus, 


COLPETTY.  171 

azaleas,  cape  jessamines,  oleanders,  and  other  flower- 
ing plants  abound,  with  here  and  there  little  rocky 
mounds  of  lilies,  cacti,  and  low  ferns ;  while  the 
familiar  palms,  mangoes,  and  bananas  always  make 
their  appearance  somewhere  on  the  premises.  Tennis 
courts  give  an  English  look  to  the  surroundings  of 
the  bungalows.  The  unfortunate  prevalence  of  damp- 
ness often  proves  very  destructive  inside  these  pic- 
turesque residences.  There  are  seasons  when  books 
and  papers,  if  exposed,  are  so  seriously  injured  that 
they  decay  like  ripe  fruit.  Boots  and  shoes  become 
mouldy  in  a  single  night,  and  other  articles  are  simi- 
larly affected. 

Colpetty  is  the  name  of  a  very  attractive  suburb 
of  the  capital,  intersected  by  finely  macadamized,  level 
roads,  which  are  kept  in  admirable  condition,  running 
beneath  shady  bamboos  and  bending  palms,  where 
the  delightful  fragrance  of  flowers  is  always  pres- 
ent. Here  a  small  colony  of  Europeans  have  made 
for  themselves  delightful  tropical  homes,  half  hidden 
by  the  abundant  vegetation  behind  beautiful  shade 
trees  where  swinging  hammocks  and  low  music  tell 
of  delicious  idleness  and  restful  ease.  If  you  pass 
through  the  embowered  ways  of  this  district  after 
nightfall,  your  path  will  be  lighted  by  glow-worms 
and  fireflies,  just  as  phosphorescence  illumines  the 
darkness  upon  the  waters  traversed  by  a  ship's  hull. 
It  is  the  bedtime  of  the  flowers,  but  their  fra- 
grance lingers  in  the  atmosphere  and  affords  the 


172  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

most  careless  participant  sensuous  delight.  Here,  as 
in  many  tropical  regions,  the  bungalows  bear  curious 
individual  names,  such  as :  Whist  Bungalow,  The 
Rotunda,  The  Snuggery,  Monsoon  Villa,  The  Rain- 
bow, Storm  Lodge,  Palmyra  Cottage,  and  so  on.  A 
similar  custom  prevails  in  the  West  Indies. 

In  a  small  front  yard  of  a  bungalow  at  Colpetty,  a 
few  climbing  vines  of  the  old-fashioned  pink,  purple, 
and  white  morning-glory  greeted  the  eye  like  the 
smile  of  a  half -forgotten  friend.  How  familiar  and 
suggestive  they  were  in  their  sweet  simplicity,  One 
thrifty  vine  had  found  lodgment  upon  a  tall  Norfolk 
Island  pine,  clinging  upon  its  singularly  uniform 
branches,  and  making  altogether  a  most  delightful 
combination  of  color.  In  the  same  inclosure  were 
several  tall  trees  of  the  bell-shaped,  white  datura,  the 
large  flowers  depending  in  great  profusion,  as  beauti- 
ful to  the  eye  as  they  are  poisonous  to  the  palate. 

The  unending  night  concerts  of  the  ground  and 
tree  frogs  in  this  vicinity  are  marvelous  for  the  aggre- 
gated noise  they  produce.  At  the  expense  of  calling 
down  anathemas  from  the  good  friends  whose  hospi- 
tality we  enjoyed  there,  it  must  be  added  that  this 
croaking  was  almost  unbearable ;  worse,  if  possible, 
than  the  symphony  and  variations  of  the  tuneful 
mosquitoes. 

The  large,  fresh-water  lake  formed  by  the  Kalani- 
Gunga,  which,  on  its  course  from  the  hills  to  the  sea, 
covers  nearly  a  hundred  miles,  straggles  about  the 


A   BEAUTIFUL  LAKE.  173 

town  in  irregular  lines,  so  that  at  one  point  it  very 
nearly  joins  the  sea.  This  river  has  been  crossed  at 
Colombo  for  many  years  by  a  bridge  of  boats,  which 
has  several  times  been  carried  away  by  the  turbulent 
stream  during  the  season  of  floods.  A  substantial 
iron  girder  roadway  has  lately  been  added  to  facilitate 
travel.  The  old  bridge  is  formed  by  a  score  of  boats 
firmly  anchored,  stem  and  stern,  in  a  straight  line,  and 
supporting  a  platform  laid  upon  crossbeams,  which  is 
fastened  to  the  boats.  The  roadway  is  about  five 
hundred  feet  long,,  the  river  being  nearly  that  width 
at  the  point  where  the  boats  are  placed.  In  olden 
times,  there  was  a  regularly  established  ferry  here, 
but  the  bridge  of  boats  has  served  transportation  to 
better  purpose  for  many  years.  There  are  now  few 
rivers  of  any  importance'  upon  frequented  routes  in 
Ceylon  which  are  left  unbridged,  most  of  the  struc- 
tures being  of  stone  and  iron,  and  built  after  the  best 
modern  system.  The  lake,  with  its  surroundings, 
forms  one  of  the  great  beauties  of  Colombo,  covering 
a  broad  expanse  dotted  with  islands  fringed  by  trop- 
ical verdure,  and  embellished  with  many  fragrant 
gardens.  The  view  across  the  still  water,  with  its 
grand  mountain  background  in  the  blue  distance,  is 
exquisite,  particularly  at  the  close  of  day,  when  the 
sunset  leaves  upon  its  surface  a  broad  crimson  gleam 
like  a  roseate  blush  suffusing  a  beautiful  face.  Upon 
its  glassy  surface  a  few  pleasure  boats  add  variety  to 
the  aquatic  picture.  There  is  a  charming  driveway 


174  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

or  promenade  extending  quite  round  the  lake,  and 
following  all  its  sinuosities  amid  low,  broad-spread 
bungalows,  cocoanut  palms,  plantains,  and  bread-fruit- 
trees.  Occasional  waterfowls  float  among  the  cosy 
bays,  or  swim  out  upon  the  lake,  engaged  in  voyages 
of  discovery. 

The  last  time  we  chanced  to  observe  this  interesting 
expanse  of  water,  a  bevy  of  muscovy  ducks  —  the 
original  stock  having  been  imported  by  some  local 
official  —  put  off  from  the  shore  like  a  fleet  of  Spanish 
galleons  of  old,  bent  upon  a  marine  foray.  They  were 
proudly  led  by  a  drake,  whose  restless  neck,  with  its 
brilliant  prismatic  hues,  shone  like  a  cluster  of  oriental 
gems  in  the  glow  of  the  morning  sun. 

The  popular  driveway  within  the  town  is  called 
the  Galle  Face,  having  the  open  sea  on  one  side 
and  the  lake  on  the  other.  Here,  after  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  all  the  beauty  and  fashion  of  the 
place  come  in  many  a  gay  turnout,  and  some  on 
horseback,  to  enjoy  the  fresh  air,  the  ocean  view,  and 
to  meet  each  other  socially.  Why  this  esplanade 
bears  the  singular  name  of  Galle  Face,  no  one  can 
explain.  It  is  said  that  it  was  so  called  because  the 
roadway  faced  Galle,  but  it  does  no  such  thing.  It 
faces  Aden  at  the  mouth  of  the  Red  Sea.  However, 
the  name  is  of  little  importance.  It  is  a  beautiful 
driveway,  recalling  the  Maiden  of  Calcutta,  improved 
for  a  similar  purpose. 

There  is  one  especially  impressive  scene  to  be  en- 


A    CEYLON  SUNSET.  175 

joyed  from  this  point,  —  the  daily  sunset  as  viewed 
from  the  esplanade,  when  that  luminary  sinks  slowly 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  long  level  reach  of  the 
Indian  Ocean,  which,  as  we  look  westward,  expands 
into  infinite  space.  During  the  brief  interval  be- 
tween day  and  star  light,  it  appears  to  the  watchful 
observer  as  though  he  were  looking  through  a  veil, 
the  fabric  of  which  consisted  of  golden  meshes.  The 
air  seems  full  of  infinitesimal  amber  particles,  and  all 
things  are  wrapped  in  an  oriental  warmth  of  color. 
Where  sky  and  ocean  meet,  a  line  of  ruby  glow 
burns  like  lava,  slowly  changing  to  the  hue  of  rich 
red  wine.  What  exquisite  harmonies  Nature  utters 
to  the  willing  ear,  and  what  inexpressible  charms  she 
reveals  to  appreciative  eyes. 

Twilight  is  brief  in  this  latitude,  Night,  clad  in 
her  sombre  garb,  following  close  upon  the  footsteps 
of  the  Day,  while  a  soft  roseate  light  ushers  in  the 
myriads  of  heavenly  lamps,  tremulous  and  luminous 
in  their  varying  colors.  "  A  fiery  sunset  burns  itself 
out  quickly,"  says  the  Italian  proverb.  Though  the 
twilight  is  brief,  the  afterglow  is  often  very  beauti- 
ful, almost  rivaling  the  sunset  itself. 

Turning  the  eyes  for  a  moment  towards  ,the  oppo- 
site or  eastern  sky,  the  dainty  cloudlets,  floating 
serenely  in  the  blue  ether,  are  tinged  with  a  glow  of 
delicate  and  beautiful  hues.  From  their  lofty  posi- 
tion the  sinking  sun  is  still  visible,  causing  them  to 
blush  at  the  ardor  of  his  parting  glance.  Perhaps  it 


176  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

is  because  of  the  novel  surroundings  that  sunset  often 
strikes  one  as  being  so  remarkable  in  these  foreign 
lands.  When  we  pause  to  analyze  the  matter,  surely 
we  have  seen  equally  fine  effects  in  this  daily  occur- 
rence at  home  in  Massachusetts,  or  at  Bar  Harbor  on 
the  coast  of  Maine. 

As  we  enjoy  this  scene  from  the  esplanade,  a  large 
P.  and  O.  steamship  crosses  the  line  of  sight  just  off 
the  shore,  bound  for  Calcutta.  She  will  double 
Dondra  Head  and  steer  northward,  touching  at 
Madras ;  thence,  hugging  the  Coromandel  coast,  she 
will  make  the  mouth  of  the  Hooghly  River,  upon 
whose  treacherous  tide  she  will  seek  to  reach  the  City 
of  Palaces.  We  know  the  route  and  its  stormy  char- 
acter only  too  well. 

There  is  a  pleasant  drive  over  the  best  and  smooth- 
est of  roads  to  the  north  of  Colombo,  affording  a 
glimpse  of  characteristic  scenery,  and  which  takes  one 
out  to  the  Kalani  temple,  where  a  fine  library  con- 
taining many  rare  oriental  books  may  be  seen.  This 
is  believed  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  shrines  on  the 
island.  The  present  edifice  is  probably  built  upon 
the  site  of  the  original  one.  The  temple  of  Kalani 
contains  a  sitting  statue  of  Buddha,  with  one  each  of 
Ganesa,  Vishnu,  and  Siva.  The  walls  of  the  in- 
terior are  covered  with  curious  paintings  representing 
various  legends,  so  that  altogether  it  forms  one  of  the 
local  objects  of  interest  which  the  stranger  should  not 
fail  to  visit.  While  upon  this  subject  of  places 


INLAND   TRAVEL.  177 

worthy  of  note  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  capital, 
let  us  mention  Avisawella,  whither  one  goes  by  an 
admirable  and  pleasant  road  into  the  Kalani  tea 
district,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  northeast  of  Colombo. 
Such  excursions  afford  delightful  glimpses  of  rural 
island  scenery,  of  birds,  trees,  flowers,  and  native  life, 
showing  the  humble  class  of  country  people  at  home, 
engaged  in  their  legitimate  domestic  occupations.  A 
fifteen  or  twenty  mile  trip  and  back  is  not  too  far  to 
accomplish  in  a  jinrikisha,  and  it  is  also  an  extremely 
comfortable  mode  of  traveling.  It  is  just  ten  years, 
at  this  writing,  since  this  comfortable  little  vehicle 
was  first  introduced  into  Ceylon,  during  which  time 
it  has  become  a  great  favorite  as  a  cheap  and  rapid 
meaiis  of  transportation.  The  author  has  made  a 
similar  jaunt  inland  from  Yokohama,  in  a  single  day, 
the  cooly  who  drew  the  jinrikisha  coming  in  at  last 
in  as  fresh  a  condition  as  a  well-driven  horse  would 
do.  It  must  be  remembered  that  roads  in  Japan  and 
Ceylon  are  as  perfectly  smooth  and  hard  as  our  best 
macadamized  ones  in  this  country.  The  average  of 
our  Massachusetts  inland  roadways  will  by  no  means 
compare  favorably  with  the  three  thousand  miles  and 
more  of  those  which  traverse  this  island  in  the  Indian 
Ocean. 

The  choicest  portion  of  Colombo  as  a  place  of 
residence  is  the  suburb  nearest  to  Victoria  Park, 
which  is  but  little  removed  from  the  business  and 
bustle  of  the  town.  We  say  "  bustle  "  of  the  town, 


178  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

but  it  is  a  misleading  word  when  it  is  applied  to  trop- 
ical life.  The  people  of  equatorial  regions  think  that 
haste  makes  waste,  and  so  everything  is  done  quietly, 
and  not  without  due  consideration.  This  is  a  temper- 
ament induced  by  the  climate,  —  one  into  which  even 
Europeans  lapse,  after  dwelling  here  for  a  considerable 
length  of  time.  It  is  stated  that  there  are  not  more 
than  six  thousand  Europeans  upon  the  entire  island, 
but  we  are  inclined  to  consider  this  an  underestimate. 
Statistics  show  that  the  rate  of  mortality  as  compared 
with  the  number  of  the  entire  population  is  such  as 
to  prove  the  climate  to  be  an  unusually  healthy  one 
for  the  tropics.  There  are  certain  portions  of  Cey- 
lon, however,  to  which  this  conclusion  will  not  ap- 
ply, where  it  is  so  malarial  and  productive  of  fever 
that  even  the  natives  cannot  live  in  them.  The  most 
formidable  diseases  which  prevail  here  are  of  a  ma- 
larial nature,  but  they  do  not  always  make  their 
appearance  in  the  form  of  fever.  Dysentery  is  apt 
to  attack  strangers,  and  elephantiasis  is  of  frequent 
occurrence  among  the  natives,  but  it  almost  never 
appears  among  white  people.  Diseases  of  the  liver 
are  also  common.  Notwithstanding  the  prevailing 
heat  in  the  southern  portions  of  the  island,  sunstroke 
is  very  rare.  Persons  of  good  habits,  and  who  do 
not  unreasonably  expose  themselves,  seem  generally 
to  enjoy  good  health.  Cholera  and  smallpox  occa- 
sionally become  epidemic,  but  rarely  among  the  Euro- 
peans. There  is  the  usual  prejudice  shown  by  the 


SNAKE   CHARMERS.  179 

common  people  against  vaccination,  and  consequently 
large  numbers  are  sometimes  swept  away  by  small- 
pox. 

The  slightest  physical  injury,  such  as  a  cut  or 
bruise  which  breaks  the  skin,  requires  prompt  atten- 
tion here,  otherwise  tetanus  may  follow.  It  is  the 
same  in  equatorial  America,  where  a  neglected  wound 
is  very  liable  to  terminate  in  lockjaw.  An  antisep- 
tic bandage  should  always  be  at  hand  for  immediate 
use  in  case  of  accident  in  these  low  latitudes,  where 
the  atmosphere  is  charged  with  poisonous  microbes 
watching  a  chance  to  do  mischief ;  an  open  wound  is 
just  what  they  seek,  and  they  rush  in  myriads  to 
infect  any  such  spot. 

One  instinctively  seeks  the  shade  of  the  broad 
piazza  which  surrounds  the  hotel,  as  the  sun  ap- 
proaches the  zenith.  Only  the  early  part  of  the  day 
and  the  late  afternoon  will  admit  of  the  traveler's 
appearing  abroad  with  any  degree  of  comfort.  A 
local  tableau  is  pretty  sure  to  present  itself,  as  it  is 
the  favorite  time  for  the  native  jugglers  and  snake 
charmers  to  appear  upon  the  scene,  squatting  upon 
their  hands  after  the  true  Asiatic  fashion,  and  quite 
oblivious  of  the  fervor  of  the  broiling  sun,  while  they 
solicit  your  attention  to  their  entertaining  tricks. 
There  are  generally  three  performers  on  these  occa- 
sions, one  of  whom  is  the  active  member  of  the  party, 
assisted  by  a  lad  of  twelve  or  fifteen  years,  while  the 
third  elicits  peculiar  notes  in  a  minor  key  from  a  reed 


180  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

instrument  not  unlike  a  flageolet,  but  utterly  devoid 
of  harmony.  One  is  forced  to  admit  that  they  are 
very  clever,  these  Indian  prestidigitators,  excelling  in 
all  forms  of  sleight-of-hand.  Their  facility  in  causing 
articles  to  disappear  suddenly  and  then  to  exhibit 
themselves  in  out-of-the-way  places  is  curious  as  well 
as  unaccountable  to  an  outsider.  A  common  trick 
with  these  performers  is  to  throw  a  ball  very  high 
into  the  air,  which  seems  to  fade  away  as  the  eye  fol- 
lows it,  and  does  not  apparently  return  to  the  ground. 
It  literally  vanishes  from  sight.  The  keenest  watch- 
fulness of  the  observer  does  not  solve  the  manner  of 
accomplishing  this  trick. 

"We  are  all  hypnotized,"  said  one  of  the  specta- 
tors on  the  piazza,  "else  how  could  that  ball  come 
down  to  the  earth  and  not  be  seen  to  do  so  ?  It  must 
descend,  having  once  ascended,"  he  added;  "that 
is  a  law  of  nature." 

"  It  may  possibly  be  something  of  that  sort,"  re- 
sponded another  equally  dazed  spectator.  "  The  Hin- 
dus know  all  about  hypnotism,  and  have  practiced  it 
more  or  less  for  many  centuries,  though  we  are  but 
just  beginning  to  investigate  it." 

"  How  these  marvelous  things  are  performed,  no 
foreigner  ever  knows,"  added  a  third.  "  The  power 
is  handed  down  from  father  to  son,  but  is  never  re- 
vealed to  the  multitude." 

The  only  way  we  can  explain  some  of  the  tricks 
and  apparent  miracles  which  these  performers  exhibit 


NATIVE  MAGIC.  181 

is  by  supposing  that  for  the  time  being  we  are  quite 
under  the  hypnotic  influence  of  the  magician.  The 
author  has  seen  in  India  proper  a  performer  in  this 
line  extend  a  glass  bowl  full  of  water  in  his  hand  at 
arm's  length,  and  cause  it  to  gradually  grow  less  and 
less  in  size  until  it  disappeared  altogether.  After  a 
moment  it  appeared  again  in  the  hand  and  at  the  same 
place,  beginning  at  first  about  the  size  of  an  English 
walnut,  and  growing  before  the  spectator's  eyes  to  its 
normal  condition. 

Another  common  trick  is  to  plant  a  mango  seed  in 
an  earthen  pot  before  the  spectator's  eyes  and  cause 
the  same  to  spring  up  and  grow  into  a  small  bush, 
then  blossom  and  bear  a  green  fruit,  which  finally 
ripens  until  it  is  in  a  condition  to  be  plucked  from 
the  stem.  This  entire  process  is  accomplished  in  half 
an  hour,  while  some  side  tricks  are  going  on.  The 
swallowing  of  a  sword,  or  rather  passing  its  blade 
down  the  throat  into  the  stomach,  is  very  common 
with  these  Singhalese  itinerant  exhibitors,  a  facility 
which  is  acquired  after  much  patient  practice,  and 
which  is  not  necessarily  injurious  to  the  performer. 

The  snakes  which  these  "  charmers,"  as  they  call 
themselves,  handle  with  such  apparent  recklessness 
and  freedom  are  of  the  deadly  cobra  family,  fatally 
poisonous  when  their  fangs  penetrate  the  flesh  of 
other  animals  or  of  human  beings;  but  as  is  well 
known,  the  repulsive  and  seemingly  dangerous  crea- 
tures which  are  publicly  exhibited  in  this  manner 


182  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

have  had  their  natural  means  of  defense  carefully  re- 
moved. Yet,  true  to  their  instincts,  they  may  be  seen 
now  and  again  to  strike  viciously  at  the  bare  arms 
and  legs  of  the  natives  who  handle  them,  while  the 
performance  is  going  on.  It  is  not  a  very  pleasing, 
though  a  curious  exhibition,  and  as  a  rule  is  avoided 
by  ladies.  The  author  has  seen  a  sensitive  person  of 
the  gentler  sex  so  wrought  upon  by  this  performance 
as  to  cause  her  to  faint.  Sometimes  the  cobras  do 
seem  to  pay  attention  to  the  low,  droning  notes  of  the 
pipe,  which  is  often  accompanied  by  a  rude  tom-tom. 
The  creatures  raise  themselves  up  on  their  tails,  sway- 
ing slowly  hither  and  thither  with  a  uniform  motion, 
as  though  realizing  that  they  are  on  exhibition. 
That  they  know  their  owners  is  evident,  since  upon 
the  approach  of  a  stranger  they  immediately  show 
great  irritation  and  a  desire  to  strike  with  their  fangs. 
One  never  witnesses  these  scenes  without  a  sense  of 
surprise  that  the  cpbras  do  not  promptly  endeavor  to 
escape  upon  being  taken  out  of  the  box  in  which  they 
are  transported.  They  do  not  show  any  such  desire, 
but  hasten  back  to  their  place  of  confinement,  which 
is  doubtless  made  comfortable  for  them,  and  where 
some  bit  of  favorite  food  is  always  given  to  them 
after  each  exhibition.  Thus  they  soon  learn  to  asso- 
ciate the  idea  of  feeding  time  with  their  public  per- 
formance, which  doubtless  adds  to  their  docility  on 
the  occasion. 

These  repulsive-looking  creatures  are    hooded  and 


A   PARISIAN  MAGICIAN.  183 

spectacled,  vary  in  length  from  three  to  six  feet, 
and  are  covered  with  dark  spots  upon  a  slate-col- 
ored skin.  Back  of  the  head  and  along  the  neck  is 
a  membrane  which  they  have  the  power  of  expand- 
ing when  under  excitement,  and  around  the  eyes  are 
circles  giving  the  effect  of  spectacles,  which  the 
snakes  seem  to  need,  for  though  their  hearing  is 
acute  enough  they  have  a  very  dull  capacity  as  to 
sight.  The  cobra  has  received  much  attention  from 
naturalists  in  consequence  of  certain  singular  habits 
which  are  attributed  to  the  creature.  The  natives 
do  not  trouble  themselves  much  about  it,  except  to 
give  it  a  wide  berth  when  it  is  encountered,  knowing 
only  too  well  the  fatal  nature  of  its  bite. 

Professor  Houdin,  a  famous  Parisian  magician, 
when  on  a  visit  to  this  island,  after  watching  the 
Indian  jugglers  for  a  week,  invited  as  many  of  them 
as  chose  to  come  to  a  public  exhibition  given  by  him- 
self. The  natives  came  by  scores,  and  the  reader  may 
be  sure  that  Houdin  did  his  best.  The  Singhalese 
"  sleight-o'-hand  men,"  when  they  saw  him  perform 
many  of  their  own  tricks  with  far  greater  expertness 
than  they  could  do,  were  surprised  beyond  measure. 
He  then  exhibited  others  so  strange  and  so  inexpli- 
cable to  them  that  the  Singhalese  declared  he  must 
be  in  league  with  evil  spirits.  In  their  performances 
they  were  openly  assisted  by  one  or  two  associates,  a 
prime  necessity  to  enable  them  to  deceive  the  look- 
ers-on. But  here  was  an  unpretentious,  simply  dressed 


184  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

European,  who  stood  before  them  alone,  with  only  a 
small,  common  table  upon  which  to  place  necessary 
articles,  plainly  shown  before  all  eyes,  who  yet  puzzled 
them  completely.  His  tricks  were  mostly  new  to 
them,  and  they  gazed  with  open  mouths  at  the  white 
necromancer,  then  into  each  others'  faces,  as  much  as 
to  say :  "  What  does  this  mean  ?  whence  does  this 
man  obtain  power  to  perform  miracles?"  All  this 
was  intensely  amusing  to  the  English  residents  of 
Colombo,  who  also  formed  a  large  portion  of  the 
audience. 

But  the  climax  was  yet  to  come. 

When  Houdin  finally  blew  a  fiery  flame  and  smoke 
from  his  mouth,  —  a  well-known  act  among  European 
performers,  —  these  superstitious  islanders  absolutely 
fled  from  his  presence  in  undisguised  consternation, 
unanimously  and  vehemently  declaring  that  he  must 
be  the  king  devil  himself  come  to  bewitch  them.  This 
was  the  more  surprising  as  these  Indian  experts  must 
have  realized  the  true  source  of  their  own  deceptive 
powers. 

The  hoarse,  monotonous  croaking  of  the  crows  at  all 
hours  of  the  day  is  one  of  the  ceaseless  annoyances 
and  accompaniments  of  life  in  Colombo.  Early  risers 
see  whole  colonies  of  these  obtrusive  and  omnipresent 
birds  coining  in  from  their  roosting-places  in  the 
neighboring  groves,  seeking  whom  they  may  devour. 
They  advance  in  irresistible  numbers,  like  an  army 
with  banners  loudly  announcing  their  approach,  like  a 


CROW  ISLAND.  185 

marching  regiment  preceded  by  noisy  fifes  and  drums, 
now  wheeling  as  one  huge  body,  and  now  breaking 
into  sections  and  platoons.  One  might  successfully 
resist  a  score  of  them,  but  when  they  come  by  the 
thousand,  it  is  like  a  plague  of  locusts.  Crows  enjoy 
nearly  the  same  immunity  throughout  the  populous 
districts  of  India  proper,  and  are  to  be  found  nearly 
as  much  in  possession  at  Benares,  Delhi,  or  Cawnpore 
as  they  are  here  in  the  capital  of  Ceylon. 

About  twelve  miles  south  of  Colombo,  just  off  the 
shore  at  Belligam,  lies  what  is  known  as  Crow  Island, 
whither  thousands  of  these  birds  resort  every  night  to 
roost.  They  do  not  fail,  however,  to  return  to  the 
capital  bright  and  early  in  the  morning.  Probably  a 
flight  of  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  from  their  regular 
night  quarters  before  breakfast  is  of  no  account  to 
these  active,  swift-winged  creatures.  There  is  still 
another  crow-roost  nearer  to  Colombo,  at  Mount 
Lavonia,  in  the  thick  palm  groves  which  skirt  the 
shore,  within  rifle-shot  of  that  pleasant  summer  resort. 
When  they  awake  in  the  early  morning  and  prepare 
for  their  flight  cityward,  the  combined  noise  which 
they  make  is  something  like  the  roar  of  artillery. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Birds  on  the  Rampage.  —  Familiar  Nuisances.  —  Silver-Spoon 
Thieves.  —  Doctrine  of  Metempsychosis.  —  Various  Nationalities 
forming  the  Population.  —  Common  Languages.  —  Tamils  are  the 
Wage-Earners.  —  The  Singhalese  Proper  are  Agriculturists.  — 
Queer  Belief  in  Demons.  —  Propitiation  !  —  The  Veddahs.  —  At- 
tacking Wild  Elephants.  —  Serpent  Worship.  —  Polyandry. —  Native 
Singhalese  Women.  —  Dress  of  Both  Sexes.  —  Streets  of  Colombo 
on  a  Gala  Day.  —  An  English  Four- in-Hand.  —  Mount  Lavonia. 

AFTER  becoming  weary  of  the  snake  exhibition,  it 
was  suddenly  remembered  that  we  had  been  cautioned 
to  close  the  windows  upon  leaving  the  sleeping  apart- 
ment, so  we  hastened  thither  to  see  if  all  was  as  it 
should  be.  Upon  entering  the  room,  we  were  greeted 
by  the  presence  of  a  score  of  dark-feathered  creatures, 

—  crows  or  rooks,  whichever  you  please  to  call  them, 

—  handsome,  familiar,  notorious  birds,  whose  black, 
shining  plumage  was  daintily  shot  with  blue,  disposed 
here  and  there  in  cool,  unblushing  possession  of  the 
premises.     Each  exposed  article  of  dress   had   been 
duly  overhauled  and  pecked  at,  then  dropped  in  utter 
confusion  upon  the  bed  or  floor.     A  few  soft  biscuit, 
which  had  been  left  in  a  plate  upon  a  table,  had  utterly 
disappeared,  while  a  sugar  bowl  which  had  accompanied 
the  morning  cup  of    coffee  was  overturned  and  the 
contents  devoured.     One  pillow-case  had  been  relieved 
by  some  means  of  its  contents,  and  hung  from  the  top 


IMPUDENT  CROWS.  187 

of  the  bedpost  like  a  flag  of  truce,  as  though  the 
enemy  wished  to  stay  all  hostile  proceedings.  In  short, 
the  room  had  been  raided  by  the  rooks.  They  under- 
stood the  first  movement  made  to  drive  them  away, 
and  sailed  gracefully  from  the  room  through  the  win- 
dow, quite  calm  and  unruffled. 

There  is  any  number  of  these  dark-plumed  free- 
booters all  about  the  streets  and  dwellings,  eagerly  on 
the  lookout  for  just  such  a  chance  to  impose  upon 
thoughtless  strangers.  They  fly  in  and  out  of  open 
doors,  lighting  confidently  upon  the  back  of  one's 
chair  at  mealtime,  trying  curiously  the  texture  of  his 
coat  with  their  sharp  bills.  No  one  molests  them  or 
makes  them  afraid.  They  are  far  tamer  than  our 
domestic  fowls,  as  they  are  never  killed  and  eaten  like 
hens  and  chickens.  A  Singhalese's  religion,  as  has 
been  said,  will  not  permit  him  to  take  animal  life. 
All  animals  are  sacred  to  a  Buddhist ;  even  snakes 
and  vermin  have  nothing  to  fear  from  him.  As  to 
these  Ceylon  crows,  one  regards  them  with  a  full 
sense  of  their  audacity,  but  the  birds  themselves 
do  not  seem  to  be  at  all  annoyed  by  such  scrutiny. 
Cocking  their  heads  on  one  side,  parrot-like,  they 
coolly  proceed  to  look  you  out  of  countenance.  Their 
mischievous  and  vicious  activity  is  temporarily  sus- 
pended during  your  presence,  but  no  sooner  is  one's 
back  turned  upon  them  than  their  reckless  antics  and 
thieving  propensities  are  resumed  with  increased 
vigor. 


188  THE  PEARL  OF  INDIA. 

One  of  their  favorite  tricks  is  to  purloin  silver 
spoons,  being  attracted  perhaps  by  their  brightness, 
and  as  they  are  not  able  to  consume  them,  though 
like  the  ostrich  they  can  eat  almost  anything,  they 
seek  some  unfrequented  piece  of  ground  and  dig  a 
hole  with  their  sharp  claws,  wherein  they  bury  the 
stolen  property  from  sight.  The  employees  of  the 
Grand  Oriental  Hotel  are  obliged  to  keep  a  sharp 
lookout  for  their  table-ware,  as  anything  small  and 
bright  at  once  challenges  the  curiosity  of  the  crows, 
and  is  liable  to  be  stolen  by  them.  They  are  most 
adroit  thieves,  and  watch  with  cunning  precaution  for 
a  chance  to  perpetrate  any  sort  of  mischief. 

There  is  another  reason  besides  that  of  a  religious 
prompting  which  leads  to  the  protection  and  tolera- 
tion of  the  crows  in  this  island.  They  are  the  recog- 
nized scavengers  of  the  city  of  Colombo,  just  as 
vultures  are  permitted  in  Vera  Cruz,  where  they  are 
protected  by  law,  for  a  similar  purpose.  Not  a  scrap 
of  carrion  escapes  the  voracious  appetites  of  either 
species  of  these  birds.  All  such  matter  cast  into  the 
street  instantly  disappears,  while,  if  left  exposed  to 
decay  in  the  hot  sun,  it  might  prove  pestilential.  It 
is  remembered  that  the  question  seriously  suggested 
itself  at  Vera  Cruz,  which  was  most  to  be  deplored, 
the  presence  of  the  uncleanly,  disgusting  vultures,  or 
that  of  Yellow  Jack,  as  the  prevailing  epidemic  is 
called  in  southern  Mexico. 

"  Why  don't  they  kill  these  nuisances  ?  "  asked  one 


DEAD  RELATIVES.  189 

of  our  fellow  travelers  of  another,  while  he  impatiently 
drove  away  a  crow  from  the  back  of  his  chair  in  the 
hotel  at  Colombo. 

"  They  have  too  much  respect  for  their  dead  rela- 
tives," was  the  reply  of  a  companion. 

"Dead  relatives?"  queried  the  first  speaker. 
*  What  has  that  to  do  with  it  ?  " 

"  Very  much.  These  Singhalese  are  believers  in 
the  doctrine  of  metempsychosis." 

"Who?" 

"  Metempsychosis ;  that  is,  in  the  transmigration  of 
the  soul  from  human  bodies  into  animals." 

"  Don't  see  where  that  idea  comes  in,"  said  the 
obtuse  querist. 

"  Why,  if  a  fellow  killed  one  of  these  impertinent 
rooks,  don't  you  know,  he  might  be  murdering  his 
dead  grandmother  !  " 

These  Buddhists  of  Ceylon  believe  that  departed 
spirits  who  have  behaved  badly  in  human  shape  re- 
appear in  the  form  of  domestic  animals  or  birds,  and 
those  who  have  done  well  are  turned  into  wild  ani- 
mals. The  most  dreadful  fate  is  held  to  be  the  re- 
appearance in  life  in  the  body  of  a  woman,  a  sad  and 
significant  reflection  upon  the  treatment  to  which  they 
are  universally  subjected. 

The  Singhalese  and  Tamils  are  the  most  numerous 
among  the  population  of  Colombo.  Mohammedans, 
Malays,  and  Parsees,  as  intimated,  are  also  here  in 
considerable  numbers,  mingled  with  representatives 


190  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

of  other  nationalities.  The  Mohammedans  are  best 
known  as  Moormen.  Though  in  the  far  past  of  the 
island's  history  Ceylon  was  so  long  and  so  intimately 
connected  with  the  Celestial  Empire,  the  author  did 
not  even  chance  to  see  a  Chinaman  on  the  island, 
though  at  the  north  and  elsewhere  in  the  several 
provinces  these  Mongolians  are  to  be  found.  In 
their  migrating  westward,  the  race  cease  to  establish 
a  foothold  in  numbers  beyond  Penang.  This  latter 
island,  as  well  as  that  of  Singapore,  is  dominated  by 
them,  the  small  trade  of  both  places  being  wholly  in 
their  hands.  But  beyond  the  Malacca  Straits,  they 
have  not  made  their  way  westward  to  any  considerable 
extent. 

The  Singhalese  language,  which  is  soft  and  flowing, 
is  founded  on  the  Sanskrit,  an  evidence  in  itself  of 
the  antiquity  of  the  people.  Tamil  is  the  language  of 
southern  India,  and  is  used  here  by  the  Moormen  as 
well  as  by  the  Tamils  proper.  There  is  a  Portuguese 
patois  still  spoken  by  European  descendants  and  half- 
breeds,  while  the  Dutch  language  is  quite  unknown, 
though  that  people  remained  here  nearly  a  century  and 
a  half  after  the  Portuguese  were  driven  out  of  the 
island.  The  English  tongue  is  becoming  more  and 
more  common  in  all  populous  centres  like  Colombo, 
Trincomalee,  Kandy,  and  Point  de  Galle.  The  Sin- 
ghalese are  nearly  always  Buddhists,  while  the  Tamils, 
as  a  people,  are  Hindus.  The  latter,  as  we  have  said, 
are  the  wage-earners  of  the  country,  working  along- 


COMMON   VEHICLES.  191 

shore  at  the  wharves,  loading  and  unloading  ships, 
belonging  to  the  coal  barges,  and  the  like.  The  Sin- 
ghalese proper  take  higher  rank ;  the  sort  of  occupation 
accepted  by  the  Tamils  would  not  on  any  account  be 
adopted  by  a  Singhalese.  Caste  is  imperious  and 
imperative,  though  it  is  strictly  discountenanced  by 
the  religion  of  the  people,  and  especially  so  by  the 
English  government,  which  does  not  fail  to  exercise 
its  influence  against  it. 

The  Tamils,  being  light  of  body  and  used  to  labori- 
ous occupations,  make  the  best  jinrikisha  men,  —  the 
small,  man-propelled  chaise,  —  trotting  off  in  their 
almost  naked  condition  with  the  speed  of  a  horse, 
while  drawing  the  vehicle  and  its  occupants  behind 
them.  They  rival  in  fleetness  the  little  gigs  or  hack- 
eries, as  they  are  called,  propelled  by  small  and  active 
brahmin  bulls,  gayly  decked  with  tinkling  bells.  Some 
of  the  zebus,  with  their  humped  necks,  deep  dewlaps, 
silky  hides,  and  deer-like  limbs,  are  really  handsome 
creatures.  These  gigs  with  their  peculiar  animals, 
and  the  jinrikishas  drawn  by  Tamils,  are  striking  and 
novel  features  to  a  stranger  when  he  first  lands  at 
Colombo,  unless  he  comes  from  the  East.  The  idea 
of  the  jinrikisha  is  borrowed  from  Japan,  but  that  of 
the  small  bullock  cart  comes  from  India,  where  they 
are  common  all  over  the  country.  It  is  surprising  to 
see  with  what  ease  and  speed  these  little  creatures  will 
trot  along  the  smooth  roads,  guided  by  reins  attached 
to  a  ring  which  passes  through  a  hole  in  the  cartilage 


192  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

of  their  nostrils.  There  is  a  larger  breed  of  cattle 
which  are  imported  from  India  for  farming  purposes, 
but  most  of  those  in  common  use  are  the  small  ones 
we  have  described.  Both  are  of  the  zebu  breed.  A 
certain  number  of  the  larger  ones,  like  elephants,  are 
kept  in  the  temples  of  India  and  worshiped  as  sacred 
animals.  It  will  doubtless  strike  the  reader  that  there 
is  a  certain  degree  of  inconsistency  in  using  these  cattle 
as  beasts  of  burden,  twisting  their  tails  to  elicit  a  high 
degree  of  speed,  and  in  kneeling  solemnly  before  the 
same  creatures  as  sacred  when  they  are  kept  within 
the  walls  of  the  temples. 

The  Singhalese  proper  make  very  good  mechanics, 
and  can  imitate  a  delicate  model  when  submitted  to 
them,  equaling  the  Chinese,  whose  fidelity  in  this  re- 
spect has  passed  into  a  proverb.  They  are  specially 
expert  in  the  manufacture  of  wooden  boxes  from 
choice  material,  inlaid  with  ivory,  tortoise  shell,  mo- 
ther of  pearl,  and  the  like ;  but  above  all  else  they 
pride  themselves  as  a  people  upon  being  agriculturists, 
a  planter's  occupation  being  considered  as  fitting  for 
the  highest  caste  to  engage  in.  It  is  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  broad  rice-fields  that  the  Singhalese  is  seen  at 
his  best.  This  occupation  he  fully  understands.  A 
predilection  for  it  seems  to  have  been  born  in  him; 
his  forefathers  have  followed  the  business  for  cen- 
turies, and  success  in  this  line  of  occupation  means 
to  him  independence  and  plenty.  All  classes  of  the 
natives  of  Ceylon  are  full  of  superstitions,  and  support 


PROPITIATING  DEMONS.  193 

hundreds  of  demon-priests,  who  thrive  upon  the  fool- 
ishness and  fears  of  the  masses.  Incantations  of  the 
most  extravagant  character  are  the  principal  means 
used  by  the  priests,  who  are  also  called  doctors,  and 
who  pretend  to  relieve  sickness  and  pain  by  barba- 
rous means,  such  as  hideous  dances,  beating  of  tom- 
toms, blowing  of  horns,  wearing  hideous  masks,  and 
other  devices.  All  this  nonsense  is  popularly  sup- 
posed to  drive  away  the  evil  spirits  who  cause  the 
sickness. 

The  Singhalese  believe  that  all  ills  in  life  are  in- 
flicted as  punishment,  and  that  evil  spirits  are  the 
agents  of  Providence  to  apply  the  same.  They  think 
that  they  are  under  penalty  not  alone  for  sins  com- 
mitted during  their  present  lives,  but  also  for  their 
wrongdoing  in  some  previous  state  of  existence. 
They  may  have  been  "  rogue "  elephants,  thieving 
crows,  vicious  buffaloes,  or  vile  cobras,  all  of  which  is 
quite  in  accordance  with  their  creed  as  promulgated 
by  the  Buddhist  priests. 

They  seem  to  have  no  skill  whatever  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  most  simple  illness.  The  author  has 
never,  even  among  the  most  barbaric  tribes,  quite 
isolated  from  contact  with  white  men,  known  a  people 
so  deficient  in  this  respect.  Some  few  of  the  Sin- 
ghalese planters  regularly  set  aside  a  small  portion  of 
their  rice-fields,  and  leave  them  unharvested,  for  the 
use  of  the  demons !  It  is  intimated  that  the  priests 
manage  to  secretly  reap  these  portions  for  their  own 


194  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

benefit,  representing  it  to  have  been  done  by  the 
evil  spirits,  whose  good-will  has  thus  been  secured 
in  behalf  of  the  credulous  planter.  The  base  and 
groveling  superstitions  and  credulity  of  the  natives 
of  Ceylon  are  simply  disgusting.  There  are  said  to 
be  three  thousand  devil-priests  supported  in  the 
island,  living  with  unblushing  assurance  upon  the 
ignorance  of  the  masses.  How  closely  akin  is  all 
this  to  the  Roman  Catholic  priests,  who  pretend  "on 
liberal  terms  "  to  pray  departed  souls  out  of  purga- 


Does  it  not  seem  extraordinary  that  the  idea  of 
worshiping  or  propitiating  some  powerful  evil  spirit 
should  prevail  almost  universally  among  barbarous 
and  half  -civilized  races?  It  is  not  the  force  of  ex- 
ample which  inculcates  such  an  idea,  since  the  author 
has  met  with  it  as  a  native  custom  among  various 
tribes  situated  as  far  apart  as  the  poles.  The  Alaska 
Indians,  the  denizens  of  "  Darkest  Africa,"  the 
Maoris  of  New  Zealand,  and  the  cannibal  tribes  of 
the  Fiji  Islands,  all  yield  more  or  less  to  this  in- 
stinct. Nor  were  the  Indians  of  North  America  de- 
void of  an  equivalent  custom  when  the  European 
settlers  first  came  among  them.  It  is  only  natural 
that  all  people,  civilized  or  otherwise,  should  be  ex- 
ercised by  an  instinct  leading  up  to  the  worship  of 
a  great  Heavenly  Father  of  mankind,  but  the  belief 
in  the  existence  of  an  opposing  and  more  important 
power,  which  must  first  be  propitiated,  is  certainly  as 


THE  GOD  OF  FIRE.  195 

singular  as  it  is  universal  among  the  barbarous  races 
of  both  hemispheres.  When  visiting  the  famous 
temples  of  Nikko,  in  Japan,  the  author  saw  a  priest 
sitting  before  a  temple  in  the  open  air,  beside  a  col- 
lection of  prepared  pine  chips  with  which  he  was  feed- 
ing a  small  fire  upon  an  open  stone  slab,  and  accom- 
panying the  burning  process  by  beating  at  intervals 
upon  a  tom-tom.  On  inquiring  as  to  the  significance 
of  this  singular  ceremony,  we  were  sagely  told  by  the 
native  guide  that  the  priest  thus  solicited  the  good- 
will of  the  god  of  fire,  who  was  very  powerful  and 
inimical  to  man,  unless  his  favor  was  frequently 
sought  by  such  means. 

"  How  terrible  it  would  be,"  added  the  devout  Jap- 
anese, "if  he  (the  god  of  fire)  were  to  consume 
these  sacred  temples,"  pointing  as  he  spoke  to  the 
unique  group  of  buildings  so  elaborately  ornamented, 
which  contain  such  priceless  hoards  of  rich  bronzes, 
carved  images,  and  delicate  lacquered  ware. 

The  sacred  temples  of  Nikko  are  in  their  way  quite 
unequaled  in  the  world,  having,  with  other  remark- 
able attractions,  the  consecrating  influence  of  great 
antiquity.  The  oldest  Japanese  bronzes  are  valued 
at  their  weight  in  gold ;  indeed,  that  precious  metal 
forms  a  large  percentage  of  the  material  of  which 
they  are  composed.  Modern  bronze,  as  compared 
with  that  of  ten  centuries  ago,  in  Japan,  is  a  very 
different  and  inexpensive  compound. 

Any  person    who    has    been  at    sea   in    a   severe 


196  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

storm  when  there  were  Chinamen  on  board  the  ship 
has  seen  the  superstitious  Mongolians  throw  bits  of 
"  joss-paper "  overboard,  bearing  certain  inscriptions 
and  mysterious  characters,  intended  to  pacify  the 
water-devil,  as  they  call  the  spirit  of  the  storm. 

A  peculiar  race  of  wild  people,  called  Veddahs,  in- 
habit the  forest  fastness  of  Bintenne,  a  district  situ- 
ated southeast  from  Kandy  forty  or  fifty  miles,  and 
a  hundred  and  twenty  or  thereabouts  from  Colombo, 
in  a  northeast  direction.  The  territory  to  which 
these  people  confine  themselves  is  known  as  Vedda- 
ratta,  or  country  of  the  Veddahs,  whither  their  an- 
cestors retired  more  than  two  thousand  years  ago, 
when  their  Singhalese  conquerors  came  to  Ceylon 
from  the  north.  Bintenne,  which  gives  its  name  to 
the  district,  transcends  Anuradhapura  in  antiquity. 
Long  before  the  Wijayan  invasion,  it  was  one  of  the 
chief  aboriginal  cities,  and  for  centuries  was  the  most 
important  place  in  Ceylon.  During  the  Dutch  do- 
minion Bintenne  was  made  a  place  of  note,  and  is 
spoken  of  by  them  as  "  the  finest  city  in  the  island.  " 
It  is  now  remote,  a  circumscribed  and  secluded  dis- 
trict ;  very  few  Europeans  have  ever  penetrated  any 
great  distance  within  its  borders.  Indeed,  the  density 
of  its  jungles  forbids  access  to  those  who  know  not  its 
solitary  footpaths.  The  singular  people  of  whom  we 
write  are  now  inconsiderable  in  number,  speaking  a 
language  understood  only  by  themselves,  and  are 
doubtless  descendants  of  the  aborigines  of  the  island, 


THE    VEDDAHS.  197 

a  race  who  lived  here  previous  to  any  dates  of  which 
we  have  record.  The  country  which  they  inhabit  is 
about  ninety  miles  long  by  half  that  distance  in 
width,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  island,  and  ex- 
tends towards  the  sea  from  the  base  of  the  mountain 
region  of  the  central  province,  commencing  near  the 
base  of  the  Badulla  hills.  There  is  abundant  evi- 
dence connecting  these  barbarians  with  the  Yakkos, 
who  were  the  oldest  known  race  in  Ceylon.  They 
live  mostly  upon  the  game  which  they  kill  with  bows 
and  arrows.  They  build  no  regular  habitations,  live 
in  caves,  grass  huts,  and  the  open  air,  and  avoid  in- 
tercourse with  all  other  tribes,  especially  the  English. 
They  are  an  undersized  people,  the  men  being  only 
five  feet  in  height  on  an  average,  and  the  women  still 
less.  Their  neglect  of  any  sort  of  ablution  is  a 
marked  feature  of  their  habits,  while  their  intellectual 
capacity  is  placed,  by  people  who  have  taken  consider- 
able trouble  to  inform  themselves  upon  the  subject,  at 
as  low  a  gauge  as  possible  in  human  beings.  In  the 
matter  of  cleanliness,  the  wild  animals  about  them  are 
more  civilized  than  they,  their  long,  tangled,  unkempt 
hair  adding  to  their  weird,  uncanny  appearance. 
What  little  intercourse  they  have  with  other  people  is 
almost  entirely  by  signs,  and  they  seem  to  be  either 
disinclined  or  unable  to  talk  intelligently.  They  are 
said  to  be  wonderful  marksmen  with  bow  and  arrow. 
As  they  practice  constantly  from  boyhood,  this  is  but 
natural.  With  the  exception  of  the  knife,  the  bow 


3IVBB.3ITT 

& 


198  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

and  arrow  is  their  only  weapon  of  offense  or  defense. 
It  is  thought  that  there  are  not  over  a  couple  of  thou- 
sand Veddahs  now  in  existence,  an  aggregate  which  is 
annually  diminished.  They  are  still  accustomed  to  the 
most  primitive  ways,  producing  fire,  when  it  is  needed, 
by  rapidly  turning  a  pointed  stick  in  a  hole  made  in 
perfectly  dry  wood,  their  bowstrings  acting  as  a  pro- 
peller in  twirling  the  stick.  This  is  a  sure  but  la- 
borious way  to  obtain  fire.  It  is  a  fact  which  has 
been  commented  upon  considerably,  and  which  is  per- 
haps worthy  of  mention  in  this  connection,  that,  in 
many  important  particulars,  these  Veddahs  are  very 
like  the  wild  native  tribes  of  Australia.  This  is  not 
only  evinced  in  certain  physical  resemblances,  but  also 
in  their  hereditary  habits,  their  unwritten  tongue,  and 
some  other  particulars.  Much  is  made  of  these  facts 
by  certain  writers  on  physical  geography,  who  have  a 
theory  that  in  the  far  past  Australia  was  joined  or 
was  adjacent  to  Ceylon,  notwithstanding  the  wide 
reach  of  ocean  which  now  intervenes. 

These  wild  people  of  the  district  of  Bintenne  are 
divided  into  two  communities,  —  the  Rock  or  Jungle 
Veddahs,  and  the  Village  Veddahs,  the  latter  living 
nearest  to  the  settlements  on  the  east  coast,  dwelling 
in  cabins  built  in  the  rudest  manner,  and  cultivating 
some  simple  grains  and  vegetables,  while  the  former 
remain  in  the  depth  of  the  forest,  roaming  hither  and 
thither,  and  avoiding  all  contact  with  civilization. 
They  are  said  to  have  preserved  this  isolation  and 


PRIMITIVE  HUNTSMEN.  199 

manner  of  living  from  the  earliest  period  of  the 
island's  history.  They  supplement  their  other  food 
with  various  edible  roots,  wild  fruits,  and  honey,  ad- 
ding lizards,  roasted  monkeys,  and  venison.  They 
are  not  Buddhists,  and  have  no  hesitation  as  to  the 
taking  of  animal  life,  or  in  eating  the  meat  of  bird  or 
beast.  It  is  said  that  they  eat  freely  of  carrion,  or 
decayed  animal  substances,  with  perfect  impunity, 
—  like  the  Arctic  races,  who  live  largely  upon  putrid 
whale  blubber  in  the  summer  season ;  in  winter,  it 
freezes  so  solid  as  to  keep  it  from  putrefaction.  The 
wild  elephant  would  seem  to  be  too  powerful  an  ani- 
mal for  these  poorly  armed  savages  to  attack,  but  it  is 
not  so,  —  they  do  hunt  him,  and  successfully.  Their 
mode  is  to  lie  in  hiding  near  what  is  known  as  an 
elephant  path  until  one  makes  his  appearance,  and  as 
he  passes,  at  a  favorable  moment,  when  he  lifts  his 
foot  nearest  to  the  hunter,  a  short  steel-headed  arrow 
is  shot  into  the  soft  sole.  When  the  animal  stamps 
his  foot  with  pain,  he  only  drives  the  shaft  still  deeper 
into  his  limb.  The  poor  beast  soon  lies  down,  in  his 
agony,  and  in  this  climate  a  wound  festers  with  great 
rapidity.  The  huge  creature  cannot  bear  his  wounded 
foot  to  the  ground,  and  sinks  upon  the  earth,  after 
great  suffering,  in  a  helpless  condition.  The  Veddah 
huntsman  then  approaches,  and  with  a  well-aimed 
spear,  thrust  where  the  spinal  marrow  and  the  brain 
unite,  the  creature's  misery  is  ended,  and  he  quickly 
breathes  his  last. 


200  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

It  is  said  by  those  who  are  well  informed  about 
these  wild  people,  that  their  best  huntsmen  are  less 
cruel  and  equally  successful.  The  plan  they  adopt  is 
to  lie  in  wait  near  a  spot  frequented  by  the  elephants, 
probably  some  watercourse  where  they  come  to  drink. 
At  a  favorable  moment,  the  huntsman,  being  only  a 
few  yards  off,  sends  a  steel-headed  shaft  into  the 
brain  of  the  huge  beast  by  aiming  just  upward  behind 
the  ear,  whereupon  the  elephant  falls  lifeless  upon 
the  ground. 

At  certain  seasons,  these  people  bring  honey  and 
dried  venison  to  the  frontier,  with  an  occasional  ele- 
phant's tusk,  and  exchange  them  for  cloth,  hatchets, 
arrowheads,  and  a  few  simple  articles  which  they  have 
learned  to  use.  They  have  no  circulating  medium 
like  money ;  they  could  make  no  use  of  such.  They 
seem  to  have  no  idea  of  God  or  Heaven,  and  erect 
neither  temples  nor  idols,  though  a  sort  of  propitiatory 
devil  worship  is  said  to  prevail  among  them,  the  real 
purport  of  which  is  quite  inexplicable.  Like  other 
tribes  of  whom  we  have  spoken,  they  appear  to  have 
an  idea  that  some  invisible  evil  power  is  antagonistic 
to  them  and  their  well-being,  and  that  their  safety 
lies  in  offering  homage  in  some  form  to  that  power. 
Of  any  supreme  influence  for  good,  they  have  no  con- 
ception. They  have  heard  of  the  white  man's  God, 
but  believe  their  Devil  is  far  more  powerful.  Like 
the  humbler  class  of  Italians,  they  have  a  mortal 
dread  of  something  equivalent  to  the  "  evil  eye." 


SERPENT   WORSHIP.  201 

Such  was  an  explanation  given  to  us  by  an  intelligent 
Buddhist  at  Kandy,  who  had  once  been  a  priest. 

The  worship  of  the  serpent  as  an  emblem  of  di- 
vinity has  been  attributed  to  the  earliest  inhabitants 
of  this  island,  but  the  Veddahs  have  no  such  faith. 
One  of  the  most  ancient  among  the  multiplicity 
of  names  which  Ceylon  has  borne  is  Nagadipa,  or 
"  snake  island,"  in  reference,  it  is  thought  by  some, 
to  this  special  worship  of  the  aborigines.  To  the 
author,  however,  it  seems  much  more  reasonable  that 
the  name  may  have  arisen  from  the  great  number  of 
these  reptiles  which  were,  and  which  still  are,  found 
upon  its  soil.  There  are  still  some  tribes  in  Ceylon 
who  reverence  the  serpent  as  an  emblem,  and  who 
actually  devote  temples  to  them,  as  the  Hindus  have 
done  to  bulls  and  monkeys  for  ages. 

The  Veddahs  are  considered  to  be  utter  barbarians, 
but  we  very  much  doubt  if  many  of  their  customs  are 
any  more  barbaric  than  some  which  prevail  among 
the  Singhalese.  Take,  for  instance,  the  revolting 
practice  of  polyandry,  which  is  still  countenanced  in 
Ceylon.  This  custom,  so  strange  and  unnatural,  has 
existed  here  for  thousands  of  years,  and  longer  still 
in  India  proper,  as  well  as  in  Thibet  and  Cashmere. 
History  tells  us  that  this  odious  custom  was  common 
in  Britain  at  the  period  of  Caesar's  invasion.  It  is 
said  to  be  dying  out  in  this  island  since  the  advent 
of  the  English.  Let  us  at  least  hope  so,  though  the 
author  was  informed  upon  the  spot  that  it  was  not 


202  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

unknown  among  the  natives  of  the  Kandian  district 
at  the  present  time.  Conventionality  has  all  the  force 
of  enacted  law.  Vice  and  virtue,  it  would  seem,  are 
relative  terms,  both  being  amenable  to  latitude  and 
longitude.  There  is  a  custom  among  the  Alaska  In- 
dians, deemed  by  them  to  be  simply  a  rite  of  hospi- 
tality, which  would  consign  a  person  to  state  prison 
if  perpetrated  in  New  England.  Is  there  not  also  a 
legalized  system  of  social  debasement  in  Japan,  so 
utterly  vile  in  our  estimation  as  to  be  absolutely  un- 
mentionable in  detail? 

We  have  not  yet  in  reality  departed  from  Co- 
lombo, concerning  which  a  few  more  words  should  be 
added  before  taking  the  reader  inland  to  "  imperial " 
Kandy  in  the  central  province  among  the  hills. 

Colombo  is  an  especially  well-regulated  and  well- 
governed  town.  No  reasonable  fault  can  be  found 
with  its  police  arrangements,  for  notwithstanding  the 
singular  variety  of  nationalities  gathered  together 
within  its  limits,  one  witnesses  no  lawlessness ;  there 
are  no  visible  improprieties  of  conduct,  but  quiet 
reigns  supreme,  both  in  the  Singhalese  and  in  the 
English  quarter  of  the  capital.  The  most  lawless 
element  here  is  the  crows,  and  one  must  admit  that 
these  audacious  creatures  are  irrepressible. 

The  native  women  of  the  middle  class  whom  one 
sees  in  the  city  are  singular  objects  as  regards  cos- 
tume, and  appear  as  if  engaged  in  a  constant  mas- 
querade, being  decorated  in  the  most  striking  manner. 


LOVE  OF  ORNAMENTS.  203 

They  wear  silver  and  brass  rings  thrust  through  the 
tops  and  bottoms  of  their  ears,  through  their  nostrils 
and  lips,  their  toes  sometimes  being  also  covered  with 
small  gold  coins  attached  to  rings.  Their  ankles, 
fingers,  and  wrists  are  decked  with  bangles  and  rings, 
while  their  diaphanous  dress  is  of  rainbow  colors. 
The  author  saw  women,  who  were  acting  as  nurses  to 
the  children  of  European  residents,  wearing  all  these 
gewgaws  as  described,  the  gross  weight  of  which  must 
have  been  considerable.  Some  of  these  women  would 
be  good-looking,  not  to  say  handsome,  were  they  less 
disfigured  by  the  cheap  jewelry  which  they  pile  upon 
themselves,  without  regard  to  good  taste  or  reason. 
It  is  an  ingrained  barbaric  fondness  for  trinkets, 
which  it  would  seem  that  they  never  quite  outgrow, 
as  women  old  and  decrepit  indulge  it  to  the  utmost 
limit  of  their  means,  thus  thoughtlessly  adding  by 
contrast  to  their  worn  and  wasted  appearance.  As 
to  their  being  employed  as  nurses  in  the  English  of- 
ficers' families,  there  is  a  certain  degree  of  fitness  in 
that,  for  they  are  very  faithful  in  this  relation ;  they 
are  naturally  loyal  to  their  trust,  and  as  a  rule  have 
excellent  dispositions,  so  that  the  children  become 
very  fond  of  them. 

The  men  wear  their  jet-black  hair  long,  done  up 
with  a  circular  shell  comb  in  front,  which  keeps  dt 
back  from  the  forehead  and  temples,  and  often  have  a 
high  shell  comb  at  the  back  of  the  head  to  keep  the 
coil  together,  all  of  which  gives  them  a  most  feminine 


204  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

appearance.  The  women  do  not  wear  combs  at  all, 
but  braid  their  profuse  ink-black  locks,  and  twist 
them  into  a  snood  behind  the  head,  a  certain  quantity 
being  formed  into  puffs  like  bow-knots,  and  the  whole 
kept  together  with  long  metallic  pins,  having  orna- 
mental heads  of  brass  or  silver.  Like  the  Japanese 
women,  their  hair  is  so  arranged  as  to  be  very  showy, 
and  they  take  great  pride  in  its  appearance. 

This  passion  for  covering  their  persons  with  gew- 
gaws is  as  old  with  these  people  as  the  ancient  city 
of  Anuradhapura,  where  the  same  custom  prevailed 
among  the  Singhalese  two  thousand  years  ago.  The 
abundance  and  beauty  of  the  precious  stones  found 
in  the  soil  of  the  island  naturally  led  to  their  being 
mounted  and  worn  by  the  wealthiest  people.  This 
fashion  was  imitated,  as  usual,  by  the  humbler  classes 
to  the  very  limit  of  their  means.  If  the  latter  could 
not  afford  the  genuine  article,  they  were  obliged,  as 
they  are  to-day,  to  be  satisfied  with  cheap  imitations. 

The  rank  and  file  of  the  common  people,  clad  in 
various  colors,  form  a  brilliant  panorama  in  the  streets 
of  Colombo  on  a  gala  day,  mingled  with  whom  are 
itinerant  exhibitors  of  legerdemain,  snake  charmers, 
hustling  dealers  in  gewgaws,  peddlers  of  bonbons, 
native  women  bearing  baskets  of  fruit  on  their  heads, 
and  naked  Tamil  laborers,  —  living  bronzes,  —  on 
their  way  to  the  wharves.  All  phases  of  life  are  rep- 
resented. An  occasional  blind  and  decrepit  native  is 
seen,  guided  by  a  small  lad,  who  solicits  pennies  with 


STREET  BEGGARS.  205 

which  to  purchase  a  little  rice  and  curry,  as  the  boy 
says  in  broken  English.  The  most  persistent  beggars 
of  all  whom  one  meets  in  the  thoroughfares  are  the 
Buddhist  priests,  who  extend  a  dirty  brass  dish  for 
alms,  while  mumbling  some  unintelligible  gibberish. 
An  occasional  stranger  and  some  humble  natives 
respond  to  his  appeals  by  contributing  a  few  pennies, 
but  the  aggregate  of  his  collection  must  be  very 
small. 

There  dashes  by  us,  while  we  watch  the  scene,  a 
gay  party  of  English  residents  in  a  four-horse  drag, 
bound  to  Mount  Lavonia.  This  is  a  pleasant  resort 
five  or  six  miles  from  Colombo,  on  the  coast  line, 
where  there  is  a  very  good  public  house,  built  origi- 
nally for  a  private  residence  by  a  former  governor  of 
the  island.  It  stands  upon  a  promontory  some  fifty 
feet  in  height,  which  juts  out  into  the  sea,  washed  on 
either  side  by  the  waves  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  This 
hotel  is  a  conspicuous  white  building,  and  forms  a 
familiar  landmark  for  inward-bound  vessels.  It  is 
much  cooler  at  Lavonia  than  at  Colombo,  as  the  loca- 
tion is  more  open  to  the  sea  breezes,  besides  being 
upon  an  elevation. 

Let  us  also  invite  the  reader  to  embark  upon  an 
excursion ;  but  in  place  of  hugging  the  sea  coast  by 
means  of  a  coach  and  four,  we  will  turn  our  faces 
inland  by  railway  toward  the  olden  capital  of  Kandy, 
in  the  heart  of  the  island. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Ancient  Capital  of  Kandy.  —  An  Artificial  Lake.  —  The  Great 
River  of  Ceylon.  —  Site  of  the  Capital  of  the  Central  Province.  — 
On  the  Way  from  Colombo  to  Kandy.  —  The  Tiny  Musk-Deer.  — 
The  Wild  Boar.  —  Native  Cabins.  —  From  the  Railway  Car  Win- 
dows. —  The  Lotus.  —  Destructive  White  Ants  and  their  Enemies. 
—  Wild  Animals  —  The  Mother  of  Twins.  —  A  Little  Waif.  —  A 
Zigzag  Railway.  —  An  Expensive  Road  to  build.  —  "  Sensation 
Rock  "  with  an  Evil  History.  —  Grand  Alpine  Scenery. 

KANDY,  the  Maha-iieura,  or  "  great  city,"  of  the 
Singhalese,  one  of  the  ancient  capitals  of  Ceylon,  is 
beautifully  situated  in  the  bosom  of  the  verdant  hills 
in  the  central  province  of  the  island,  just  about  half 
way  between  the  east  and  west  coasts,  a  little  more 
than  seventy  miles  north  of  Colombo.  Here  the 
town  nestles  on  a  bend  of  the  Maha-velle-Ganga 
("great  sandy  river"),  which  nearly  surrounds  the 
old  city  at  a  distance  of  three  miles  from  its  centre. 
It  became  the  capital  of  the  island  in  1592.  As  it 
was  repeatedly  captured  and  burned  by  the  Portu- 
guese, Dutch,  and  English,  it  presents  no  architectural 
monuments  with  any  pretension  to  antiquity.  Here 
we  are  about  seventeen  hundred  feet  above  sea  level, 
beside  a  spacious,  though  artificial  lake,  which  repre- 
sents a  small  portion  of  the  grand  system  of  irriga- 
tion for  which  Ceylon  was  so  famous  through  a  score 
of  centuries.  There  is  no  natural  lake  worthy  of  the 


AN  INFAMOUS  KING.  207 

name  in  the  country,  though  there  are  numerous 
ponds,  large  and  small,  here  and  there,  especially  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  island.  In  the  centre  of  this 
large  sheet  of  water,  with  its  charming  aspect  of 
repose  and  freshness,  is  a  tiny  island,  where  the  last 
king  of  Kandy,  who  was  a  notorious  tyrant,  estab- 
lished his  harem  with  true  oriental  lavishness.  It 
is  now  improved  as  a  safe  place  for  the  storage  of 
gunpowder  and  other  explosive  war  materials.  At 
least,  it  was  formerly  thus  appropriated,  though  per- 
haps it  is  not  so  now.  The  infamous  sovereign  re- 
ferred to,  Sri  Wikrema  Raja  Singha,  at  whose  death 
ended  a  long  and  famous  line  of  kings,  was  outra- 
geous beyond  all  precedent.  He  was  accustomed  to 
behead  any  one  of  his  counselors  who  dared  to  disa- 
gree with  him,  also  wreaking  his  vengeance  upon  the 
individual's  innocent  family,  males  and  females,  by 
treating  them  in  a  similar  manner. 

The  immense  tank  at  Kandy  is  of  modern  con- 
struction, having  been  finished  early  in  the  present 
century  by  the  king  whose  name  we  have  just  given. 
The  heavy  embankment  which  holds  the  lake  in  its 
bed  has  been  made  into  a  broad  and  most  charming 
esplanade,  decked  with  handsome  shade  trees,  thus 
surrounding  the  basin  with  an  inviting  driveway  and 
promenade,  enlivened  by  choice  flowering  shrubs, 
whose  names  only  an  accomplished  botanist  could 
remember.  Among  them  the  ever-fragrant  cape  jes- 
samine is  conspicuous,  together  with  beds  of  violets 


208  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

and  mignonette.  Palms  prevail  everywhere  on  the 
island,  with  their  bare  trunks  reaching  sixty  or 
seventy  feet  upward,  at  which  point  they  throw  out 
their  deep  green,  gracefully  drooping  foliage  in  thick 
clusters.  The  lake  is  about  three  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence, encircled  by  a  low  stone  wall,  and  is,  judged  even 
by  modern  rules,  a  remarkably  skillful  piece  of  engi- 
neering. 

The  Maha-velle-Ganga  rises  in  the  base  of  the 
neighboring  mountains,  and,  flowing  past  Kandy, 
turns  to  the  north,  finally  discharging  itself  by  sev- 
eral mouths  into  the  ocean  far  away  on  the  east  coast, 
near  the  port  of  Trincomalee.  It  drains  in  its  course 
upwards  of  four  thousand  square  miles  of  territory, 
being  a  hundred  and  thirty  miles  long,  and  is  naviga- 
ble by  small  boats  nearly  to  Kandy.  The  hills  which 
encompass  the  town  make  of  it  a  verdant  amphitheatre, 
and  are  themselves  dotted  with  flourishing  tea-planta- 
tions, mostly  owned  by  English  agriculturists,  the 
growing  of  tea,  as  already  explained,  having  largely 
superseded,  or  perhaps  we  should  say  supplemented, 
that  of  coffee  throughout  the  island.  In  the  higher 
regions,  near  the  foothills,  where  the  big  river  rises, 
there  used  to  be  a  great  coffee  district,  healthy  and 
populous ;  but  alas !  malaria  and  jungle  fever  lie 
crouching  upon  its  lower  banks  like  a  beast  of  prey, 
ready  to  pounce  upon  the  passing  and  incautious 
traveler,  while  hungry,  wide-jawed  crocodiles  lie  half- 
concealed  in  the  low  mangroves,  ready  to  snap  up  any 


A   MALARIAL  DISTRICT.  209 

dog  or  young  native  child  which  thoughtlessly  ap- 
proaches their  domain.  The  Ceylon  crocodile  is  a 
large  animal,  quite  common  on  the  inland  rivers  and 
deserted,  half  ruined  tanks,  and  frequently  measures 
over  twenty  feet  from  the  snout  to  the  tip  of  the  tail. 
In  the  malarial  districts,  all  sorts  of  insects,  reptiles, 
and  wild  animals  thrive  and  multiply  abundantly,  but 
to  man,  and  even  to  most  domestic  animals,  such 
regions  are  poisonous. 

The  reason  why  the  river-courses  in  Ceylon  are  so 
unsalubrious,  so  fever-inducing,  is  easily  explained. 
These  waterways  overflow  their  banks  in  the  rainy 
season,  depositing  an  accumulation  of  vegetable  mat- 
ter which  remains  to  decompose  when  the  river  sub- 
sides, thus  infecting  the  surrounding  country.  The 
banks  of  swiftly  flowing  streams  are  considered  to  be 
healthful  localities,  but  they  do  not  prove  so  in  this 
tropical  island.  The  Maha-velle-Ganga,  which  is  the 
Mississippi  of  Ceylon,  is  no  exception  to  this  rule. 

In  coming  to  Kandy  from  Colombo,  the  railway 
for  the  first  forty  miles  threads  its  way  through  a 
thinly  populated  region,  over  a  level  country  which 
is  often  so  low  as  to  be  of  a  marshy  nature,  though 
the  soil  is  marked  by  overwhelming  fertility.  About 
fifteen  miles  from  the  capital  is  Henaratgoda,  where 
the  government  Tropical  Gardens  are  situated.  Here 
the  process  of  acclimatization  for  exotics  is  tried  with 
plants  which  might  not  thrive  at  the  altitude  of  the 
Botanical  Gardens  of  Peradenia,  near  Kandy.  The 


210  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

railway  stations,  it  will  be  observed,  are  all  beau- 
tifully ornamented  witli  tropical  flowers  adapted  to 
the  situation.  This  is  getting  to  be  a  universal 
custom  all  over  the  world.  Even  in  Russia,  on  the 
line  between  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow,  every  depot 
is  thus  beautified.  The  railways  are  a  government 
monopoly  in  this  island,  furnishing  a  handsome  reve- 
nue. There  are  no  presidents  to  swallow  up  salaries 
of  fifty  thousand  dollars  each,  nor  other  ornamental 
officials  receiving  enormous  sums  of  money  for  im- 
aginary services.  At  each  station  in  Ceylon,  pretty 
children  of  both  sexes  offer  the  traveler  tempting 
native  fruits.  They  are  very  interesting,  these  chil- 
dren, in  spite  of  their  unkempt  hair  and  entire 
nudity.  Their  big  black  eyes  are  full  of  pleading 
earnestness  and  bright  expression,  while  their  dark 
brown  skin  shines  like  polished  mahogany  under  the 
hot  rays  of  an  equatorial  sun.  The  land  seen  on  the 
route  is  interspersed  by  rice  plantations,  groves  of 
palms,  bananas,  and  plantains,  while  the  jungle  at 
intervals  is  seen  to  be  impassable,  the  trees  are  so 
bound  together  with  stout,  creeping  vines  and  close 
undergrowth.  Hump-backed  cows  and  black  swine, 
with  an  occasional  domesticated  buffalo,  are  all  the 
animals  one  sees,  though  there  are  a  plenty  of  wild 
ones  not  far  away  in  less  populous  districts,  including 
bears,  deer,  leopards,  and  elephants.  The  buffalo  is 
almost  an  amphibious  animal,  and  may  be  seen  for 
many  hours  daily  nearly  immersed  in  the  ponds,  lakes, 


WILD   ANIMALS.  211 

or  rivers,  only  its  head,  horns,  and  nose  visible  above 
the  water.  Thus  he  will  lie  or  stand  for  any  length 
of  time,  chewing  the  cud  like  other  creatures  of  his 
kind,  until  hunger  compels  him  to  seek  food  on  the 
dry  land.  Happy  for  him  if  he  be  not  attacked, 
while  thus  exposed,  by  the  voracious  pond  leeches, 
more  fatal  than  the  flies  which  he  strives  to  avoid 
by  thus  immersing  his  body.  The  elephants  are 
still  numerous,  notwithstanding  so  many  have  been 
exported  to  the  continent  hard  by.  A  carefully 
prepared  estimate  published  at  Colombo  last  year 
(close  of  1893)  places  the  probable  number  of  wild 
elephants  in  Ceylon  at  five  thousand.  It  is  also  be- 
lieved that  the  small  numbers  of  these  animals  which 
are  now  shot  by  Europeans  annually  will  not  de- 
crease this  aggregate,  because  of  the  natural  breeding 
which  is  all  the  time  going  on.  There  are  also 
found  here  in  abundance  the  wild  boar,  jackal,  ant- 
eater,  and  a  great  variety  of  monkeys  (the  latter 
afraid  only  of  Europeans),  and  the  cheetah.  This 
last  named  is  an  animal  of  the  leopard  family,  nearly 
three  feet  in  height,  and  six  feet  long  from  nose  to 
tail-tip,  but  exceedingly  active  and  over-fond  of  mon- 
key-flesh. It  is  of  a  dun  color,  with  round  black 
spots  distributed  uniformly  over  the  body. 

The  tiny  musk-deer,  so  called,  though  it  has  no 
musk-bag  or  scent  about  it  of  that  pungent  nature, 
is  indigenous  to  Ceylon.  There  is  a  stuffed  specimen 
in  the  Colombo  museum,  but  the  author  did  not 


212  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

happen  to  see  one  alive.  It  is  only  about  twelve  or 
fourteen  inches  long  and  ten  high  when  at  maturity, 
but  it  is  formed  exactly  like  a  full-grown  North 
American  deer  or  antelope,  having  a  gray  hide  dap- 
pled with  white  spots,  like  a  young  fawn.  Its  ex- 
quisite delicacy  of  limbs  is  very  beautiful.  Several 
attempts  have  been  made  to  transport  a  pair  from 
this  island  to  the  Zoological  Gardens  of  London,  but 
the  little  creatures  have  never  survived  the  voyage. 
They  prove  to  be  as  delicate  in  constitution  as  in 
physical  formation. 

We  have  incidentally  mentioned  the  wild  boar,  to 
hunt  which  is  a  sport  that  has  brought  nearly  as 
many  Englishmen  to  Ceylon  as  has  that  generally 
more  attractive  and  much  larger  game,  the  wild  ele- 
phant. Strange  to  say,  the  boar,  weighing  on  an 
average  not  much  over  two  hundred  pounds,  has 
proved  quite  as  dangerous  and  even  more  formidable 
in  conflict  than  the  huge  monarch  of  these  forests. 
The  quick-witted,  cool,  and  experienced  huntsman  can 
avoid  the  giant  elephant  when  he  charges, — he  is 
necessarily  sluggish  on  account  of  his  size ;  but  the 
wild  boar  is  swift,  fierce,  and  armed  with  tusks  sharp 
as  a  dagger's  point,  which  he  uses  with  the  adroitness 
and  rapidity  of  a  skilled  swordsman.  Sir  Samuel 
Baker  says  that  he  has  killed  these  animals  in  Ceylon 
weighing  over  four  hundred  pounds  each,  and  has 
seen  them  here  even  much  larger.  The  boar  is 
hunted  with  trained  dogs,  and  is  scarcely  ever  driven 


WILD-BOAR  HUNTING.  213 

to  bay  without  seriously  wounding  and  often  killing 
one  or  more  of  the  pack.  The  hunter  does  not  shoot 
at  the  boar  when  at  close  quarters,  lest  he  should  kill 
the  dogs  hanging  to  the  animal ;  but  the  true  form 
is  for  him  to  close  in  upon  the  fight  and  bury  his 
long  knife  in  the  creature's  vital  parts.  Practiced 
sportsmen  aim  to  bury  their  weapon  just  back  of  the 
ears,  at  the  junction  of  the  brain  and  spinal  marrow ; 
death  to  the  boar  is  then  instantaneous.  Sir  Samuel 
Baker,  who  was  an  inveterate  sportsman,  had  many 
narrow  escapes  in  wild-boar  hunting  in  Ceylon,  and 
was  more  than  once  seriously  wounded. 

The  natives  inland,  as  observed  on  the  line  of  the 
railway,  live  in  the  simplest  and  rudest  of  huts, 
mostly  formed  of  bamboo  frames  filled  in  with  clay 
baked  in  the  sun.  The  thatched  roofs  consist,  as 
usual  in  this  country,  of  large  palm  leaves  braided 
together,  one  layer  lapping  over  another,  thus  effec- 
tually excluding  even  equatorial  rains.  The  eaves 
come  within  three  or  four  feet  of  the  ground.  There 
are  110  chimneys  nor  windows  in  these  primitive 
abodes,  but  the  doors,  which  are  always  open,  admit 
light  and  air.  The  natives  only  sleep  in  them ;  dur- 
ing their  waking  hours,  they  are  always  under  the 
blue  sky.  Each  native  builds  his  own  cabin,  which 
rarely  consists  of  more  than  one  apartment.  In  its 
erection  no  nails  are  used ;  the  several  parts  are  tied 
together  with  rattans  and  stout  vines,  which  become 
like  rope  when  they  are  once  dry.  The  climate  is  so 


214  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

uniformly  warm  that  many  do  not  even  plaster  their 
walls  with  clay,  using  palm  leaves  and  boughs  of 
trees  to  form  a  sufficient  covering.  A  sheltered  situ- 
ation is  chosen,  so  as  to  be  protected  from  the  weather 
when  the  monsoons  blow,  for  these  natives  have  a 
fixed  aversion  to  the  wind  and  rain.  There  is  a  cer- 
tain harmony  between  the  primitive  simplicity  of 
these  people  and  that  of  surrounding  nature.  To 
the  casual  observer,  as  he  passes  over  this  route  be- 
tween Colombo  and  Kandy,  there  is  an  unpleasant 
suggestion  in  the  surroundings  of  possible  jungle 
fever.  The  thick,  low-lying,  tangled  woods  and  stag- 
nant pools  one  would  think  must  be  the  very  home 
of  chills  and  fever.  They  would  be  so  considered  in 
continental  India,  or  in  the  south  and  west  of  our 
own  country ;  yet  the  people  hereabouts  do  not  seem 
at  present  to  suffer  from  any  special  form  of  ill 
health.  The  men  are  thin  in  flesh,  but  muscular  and 
cheerful  in  aspect.  They  really  seem  to  enjoy  life 
after  their  dull,  animal-like  fashion,  though  their 
principal  occupation  is  that  of  working  in  the  wet 
rice-fields,  an  employment  which  no  European  can 
safely  pursue.  The  latter,  in  fact,  never  become  suf- 
ficiently acclimated  to  be  able  to  live  in  low  and 
swampy  districts  in  Ceylon  without  contracting  ma- 
laria, the  effects  of  which  last  through  a  lifetime. 

When  this  railway  was  being  built,  the  coolies 
employed  in  the  work  died  by  hundreds  from  the  un- 
wholesome character  of  the  neighborhood,  until  the 


FROM  THE   CAR    WINDOW.  215 

rule  was  adopted  of  returning  the  laborers  after  the 
day's  work  to  Colombo  to  sleep,  bringing  them  back 
again  after  sunrise.  It  is  the  damp  night  air  which 
prevails  in  the  lowlands,  and  its  attendant  miasma, 
which  proves  so  fatal.  One  after  another  of  the 
European  overseers  and  engineers  sickened,  and  were 
compelled  to  return  home  to  England  before  a  resto- 
ration to  health  was  effected ;  while  some,  apparently 
the  most  hardy,  and  who  took  the  best  of  care  of 
themselves,  succumbed  altogether,  and  were  buried  in 
the  island  far  from  their  native  land.  Better  drain- 
age and  cleared  jungles  have  greatly  improved  the 
sanitary  conditions.  The  dense  forest  has  been 
opened  to  the  influence  of  purifying  breezes  and  the 
effect  of  the  genial  sunshine,  so  that  there  is  much 
less  chance  for  the  pestilence  to  find  a  breeding-place. 
Banana  groves,  with  the  trees  bending  under  the 
weight  of  the  rich,  finger-shaped  fruit ;  tall  cocoanut- 
trees,  the  tops  heavy  with  the  nutritious  food  they 
bear  ;  stout  tamarinds  and  juicy  mangoes  ;  ant-hills, 
looking  like  young  volcanoes,  half  as  high  as  native 
huts  ;  rippling  cascades ;  sharp  declivities ;  glisten- 
ing pools  ;  white  cranes  ;  tall  pink  flamingoes,  stand- 
ing like  sentinels  on  the  muddy  banks ;  an  occasional 
monkey  leaping  among  the  trees ;  golden  orioles, 
gaudy-feathered  parrots,  and  other  birds  of  dazzling 
hues,  are  observed  with  never-flagging  interest  from 
the  windows  of  the  slowly  moving  cars,  while  on  this 
inland  route  to  Kandy.  The  marabou,  which  is  so 


216  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

much  prized  for  its  delicate  feathers,  is  occasionally 
seen  stalking  watchfully  by  the  shaded  pools,  seizing 
now  and  then  upon  small  reptiles  with  its  formidable 
bill  and  devouring  them  at  a  single  gulp.  It  seems 
strange  that  these  birds  can  swallow  with  impunity 
snakes  and  other  vicious  reptiles  while  they  are  yet 
alive.  One  would  think  that  creatures  whose  bite  is 
often  fatal  to  human  beings  would  under  such  cir- 
cumstances cause  a  fearful  state  of  commotion  in  a 
bird's  crop.  If  ostriches,  however,  can  swallow  and 
digest  large  nails,  jackknives,  and  corkscrews,  per- 
haps the  gastric  juices  of  these  smaller  birds  may 
have  special  properties  to  aid  them  in  effectually  dis- 
posing of  poisonous  reptiles. 

How  well  our  first  trip  inland  in  Ceylon  is  remem- 
bered. While  watching  the  novel  and  intensely 
interesting  sights,  the  air  was  heavy  with  aromatic 
fragrance,  and  sweet  with  the  odor  of  lilies,  while  a 
feeling  of  quiet  content  stole  over  the  senses,  as  in  a 
half-waking  dream  from  which  one  does  not  desire  to 
be  aroused.  Was  the  brain  yielding  to  the  subtle 
breath  of  those  gorgeous  lotus  flowers,  which  opened 
wide  their  delicate  pink  petals  to  the  sunshine  ?  This 
queen  of  the  lily  tribe,  the  lotus,  is  here  seen  in  two 
varieties,  the  pink  and  the  white.  They  resemble 
very  closely  the  common  pond-lily  of  our  own  cli- 
mate, but  are  thrice  their  size.  The  seeds  are  a  mild 
narcotic,  and  are  sometimes  eaten  by  the  natives  to 
produce  that  effect.  It  is  said  that  birds  of  the 


RAVAGES  OF  THE  ANTS.  217 

wading  family  sometimes  partake  of  them  until  they 
become  stupefied.  The  seed  is  about  the  size  of  a 
hazel-nut,  and  leaves  a  bitter,  puckering  taste  in  the 
mouth. 

The  white-ant  hills  which  rise  to  such  proportions 
here  and  there  in  the  wooded  districts  remind  us 
that  these  minute  but  marvelously  industrious  crea- 
tures are  one  of  the  great  pests  of  equatorial  regions, 
and  that  they  are  especially  destructive  in  this  island. 
Attracted  by  the  very  dry  condition  of  the  wood,  they 
bore  holes  in  the  timbers  which  form  the  frames  of 
the  better  class  of  dwellings,  and  therein  lay  their 
eggs.  As  soon  as  the  young  ants  are  hatched,  they 
begin  to  devour  the  wood,  and  continue  to  do  so  until 
it  falls  to  pieces.  They  operate  on  the  inside,  avoid- 
ing the  outer  part,  proving  to  be  the  most  stealthy  of 
all  aggressive  invaders,  and  their  presence  is  often 
unsuspected  until  the  mischief  is  done.  The  pal- 
myra palm  and  the  ebony-tree  furnish  the  only  timber 
which  resists  the  serious  ravages  of  these  white  ants. 
The  author  was  shown  a  bungalow  near  Kandy, 
which  was  in  ruins,  where  the  occupants  not  long 
before  were  one  day  surprised  by  the  roof  tumbling 
in  upon  them  while  they  were  seated  at  the  dinner- 
table.  The  supporting  timbers  were  no  longer  able 
to  bear  their  own  weight,  much  less  to  hold  the  heavy 
thatched  roof  in  place,  after  having  been  reduced 
by  the  ants  to  a  mere  shell.  One  would  think  that 
where  an  abundance  of  fresh,  green  vegetation  and 


218  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

ripe  fruit  are  to  be  had,  dry  timber  could  have  few 
attractions  as  insect  food. 

One  of  the  species  of  ants  common  in  Ceylon  has 
been  made  the  subject  of  careful  investigation  by 
competent  naturalists,  and  with  extremely  interesting 
results.  The  conclusions  arrived  at  serve  to  corrobo- 
rate previously  formed  ideas,  that  of  all  small  crea- 
tures the  ant  is  endowed  with  the  most  intelligence. 
Among  other  singular  facts  which  have  been  discov- 
ered, it  is  now  known  that  when  a  conflict  occurs 
between  rival  tribes  of  ants,  something  like  a  regular 
military  system  is  observed  by  them.  They  march  to 
the  conflict  in  strict  order,  divided  into  separate  col- 
umns, which  are  evidently  under  command  of  different 
leaders,  while  the  advance  is  so  correctly  timed  that 
the  attack  upon  the  enemy  is  simultaneous.  This  re- 
quires mental  calculation ;  instinct  does  not  suffice  to 
fix  such  matters.  During  the  fight,  the  ants  carry  off 
their  dead  and  wounded  to  a  place  of  safety  in  the 
rear.  A  large  detail,  whose  members  take  no  part  in 
the  actual  conflict,  work  like  an  ambulance  corps  at- 
tached to  a  well-organized  army.  If  we  were  treating 
the  subject  in  detail,  many  other  interesting  facts 
might  be  given,  showing  the  remarkable  organization 
which  exists  among  them,  and  the  sagacity  of  these 
intelligent  insects. 

On  the  island  of  Mauritius,  in  the  Indian  Ocean, 
the  inhabitants  protect  themselves  against  the  ravages 
of  the  white  ants,  which  if  permitted  would  commit 


DESTRUCTIVE    WHITE  ANTS.  219 

similar  depredations  upon  their  dwellings  to  that 
already  spoken  of,  by  pitting  a  destructive  enemy 
against  them.  When  it  is  found  that  a  colony  of 
these  termites  have  invaded  a  dwelling,  the  inhabitant 
knows  that  he  must  act  promptly,  as  these  creatures 
have  big  heads  and  strong  jaws,  and  they  destroy 
rapidly.  He  pours  some  molasses  on  the  ground  near 
by  the  path  by  which  the  white  ants  move  to  and  fro 
between  their  home  and  the  house.  The  smell  of 
the  treacle  is  sure  to  attract  a  bevy  of  black  ants, 
which  species  is  very  fond  of  sweets.  These  are  the 
natural  enemies  of  the  white  ants.  They  notice  the 
latter  passing  regularly  back  and  forth,  and  govern 
themselves  accordingly.  In  a  few  hours,  a  whole 
army  of  black  ants  approaches,  marching  in  a  column 
two  yards  long.  They  enter  the  infected  house 
in  large  numbers,  leaving  a  reserve  force  behind, 
and  promptly  destroy  every  white  ant  in  the  place. 
Finally  the  army  marches  out,  each  of  the  black  ants 
carrying  away  a  dead  white  one,  which,  cannibal-like, 
they  devour ! 

But  we  are  still  on  the  way  by  rail  to  Kandy,  and 
not  writing  a  volume  on  natural  history,  though  in 
making  these  notes  and  with  the  objects  absolutely 
before  one's  eyes,  the  mind  —  and  the  pen  as  well 
—  is  apt  to  follow  the  natural  suggestions  of  the  sub- 
ject, even  at  the  risk  of  seeming  to  diverge  from  the 
purpose  in  hand.  The  patient  reader  thus  often  be- 
comes possessed  of  facts,  the  communication  of  which 


220  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

was  quite  unpremeditated  by  the  author.  Let  us 
take  heed,  however,  not  to  make  such  detail  weari- 
some. 

On  remarking  to  an  intelligent  resident  of  the 
island,  who  was  a  fellow  passenger,  that  no  wild  ani- 
mals were  to  be  seen  upon  the  route,  he  replied  that 
if  we  were  to  leave  the  more  thickly  settled  district 
and  strike  into  the  forest,  abundant  tracks  would  be 
met  with  of  bears,  leopards,  and  elephants.  The  lat- 
ter, especially,  make  broad  paths  through  the  jungle 
by  their  heavy  tread  and  shambling  gait,  leveling 
the  undergrowth  right  and  left  as  effectually  as  could 
be  done  by  an  army  of  bushwhacking  road-makers. 
If  a  small  tree  impedes  an  elephant's  progress,  he 
puts  his  broad  forehead  against  the  stem,  bends  it 
so  as  to  place  his  foot  upon  the  horizontal  trunk,  and 
thus  snaps  it  short  off.  If  it  does  not  yield  readily, 
he  winds  his  trunk  firmly  about  it  and  pulls  it  up  by 
the  roots,  as  a  dentist  extracts  a  rebellious  tooth. 
As  a  rule,  small  trees  go  down  before  a  fleeing  ele- 
phant like  grass.  Buffaloes  are  found  in  both  the 
wild  and  domesticated  condition  all  over  the  island, 
but  they  abound  only  in  their  wild  state  in  the  north- 
ern sections.  The  untamed  buffalo  is  a  dangerous 
antagonist  when  assaulted  and  fairly  driven  to  bay, 
and  many  an  English  sportsman  has  been  killed  by 
them  in  Ceylon.  The  bulls  are  particularly  savage 
and  pugnacious,  giving  battle  upon  the  slightest  prov- 
ocation. 


CEYLON  MONKEYS.  221 

At  a  point  where  the  cars  were  stopped  for  a  few 
moments  to  obtain  a  supply  of  water  for  the  engine,  a 
female  monkey  was  seen  among  the  trees,  the  mother 
of  twins,  holding  the  little  things  in  her  arms  and 
nursing  them  in  a  manner  so  human  as  to  form  a 
most  ludicrous  picture.  Presently,  leaving  her  little 
ones  in  a  safe  place,  she  came  down  to  the  cars,  and 
was  regaled  from  our  lunch  basket  with  what  to  her 
must  have  been  rare  tidbits,  supplied  from  the  cui- 
sine of  the  Grand  Hotel  at  Colombo.  As  a  rule,  the 
monkey  tribe  avoid  Europeans  or  white  men,  suspect- 
ing treachery,  while  they  care  very  little  for  the 
native  people,  who  rarely  interfere  with  them.  The 
affection  of  the  mother  monkey  for  its  young  is  some- 
thing very  touching.  If  one  of  its  little  progeny 
dies,  the  mother  still  clings  to  it,  sometimes  for  sev- 
eral days,  carrying  it  about  in  her  arms,  until  finally 
some  instinct  causes  her  to  lay  it  away,  covered  with 
leaves  and  the  tender  young  branches  of  the  bamboo. 
Europeans  have  a  cruel  way  of  obtaining  young  mon- 
keys to  take  away  from  the  island.  It  is  accom- 
plished by  shooting  the  mother,  after  which  the  be- 
wildered little  one  is  easily  secured.  One  of  these 
small  monkey  orphans  was  brought  on  board  the 
steamship  in  which  we  left  Ceylon,  by  its  cruel  cap- 
tor. It  was  touching  to  see  how  the  diminutive  crea- 
ture had  transferred  its  trust  and  affection  from  its 
natural  guardian  to  its  present  owner,  to  whom  it 
clung  incessantly.  Poor  little  fellow !  it  was  well 


222  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

that  it  did  not  know  its  new  protector  to  be  the  sole 
cause  of  all  its  troubles.  It  proved  to  be  a  bad  sailor, 
and  was  so  seasick  that  it  soon  died,  but  it  clung  to 
its  adopted  friend  to  the  last  moment,  who  was,  we 
are  glad  to  say,  exceedingly  kind  to  the  little  waif. 

After  passing  through  the  low  country  on  the  way 
to  Kandy,  we  began  gradually  to  climb  an  up-grade. 
This  was  at  Rambukana,  about  fifty  miles  from  Co- 
lombo, two  powerful  engines  being  now  required  to 
move  even  our  short  train,  made  up  of  four  cars. 
The  road  winds  zigzag  fashion  about  the  hills,  in 
startling  proximity  to  the  deep,  threatening  abyss, 
while  the  ever-changing  scenery  of  the  Kaduganawa 
Pass  becomes  far-reaching  and  grand,  varied  by  pre- 
cipitous declivities,  deep  green  gulches,  and  falling 
waters.  The  shelving  rocks  are  here  festooned  with 
climbing  plants,  daintily  enriched  by  blossoms  of  vivid 
hues,  and  flowering  creepers.  As  one  can  easily 
believe,  this  was  an  expensive  road  to  build,  costing 
in  many  parts  over  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars per  mile,  but  it  is  most  thoroughly  constructed 
on  a  gauge  of  five  feet  and  six  inches.  The  gra- 
dant  in  some  places  is  one  foot  in  forty-five.  Near 
the  highest  part  of  the  line  stands  "  Sensation  Rock," 
from  which  a  grand  and  startling  view  is  enjoyed,  re- 
calling a  similar  experience  on  the  author's  part  at 
"Inspiration  Point,"  overlooking  the  never-to-be-for- 
gotten Yosemite  Valley  in  California.  This  Ceylon 
rock  has  an  evil  history,  it  being,  according  to  tradi- 


ALPINE  SCENERY.  223 

tion,  the  spot  from  which  the  ancient  kings  of  Kandy 
ruthlessly  hurled  their  prisoners  of  war  to  destruc- 
tion. This  railway  is  a  great  success  pecuniarily  and 
otherwise.  So  well  has  it  been  managed  that  in  the 
twenty-two  years  which  have  transpired  since  its  com- 
pletion, but  one  accident  has  occurred  of  any  special 
moment,  and  no  European  or  American  has  ever  lost 
life  or  limb  by  mishap  while  traveling  upon  the  road. 
It  is  to  be  feared  that  we  cannot  cite  a  similar  in- 
stance of  any  railway  in  this  country. 

At  last,  after  a  hearty  enjoyment  of  the  bold  and 
beautiful  scenery  for  two  hours  and  more,  winding 
snakelike  about  the  steep  acclivities,  and  diving  into 
and  out  of  dark,  gloomy  tunnels,  we  landed  in  the 
old  and  picturesque  capital  of  the  central  province. 
It  is  not  exactly  a  city  built  upon  a  hill,  but  it  is  a 
city  built  among  the  hills. 

The  region  in  this  line  of  latitude  between  the 
eastern  and  western  doast  of  the  island,  particularly 
in  the  central  province,  is  one  of  much  grandeur,  a 
country  of  Alpine  heights  and  deep  green  valleys. 
Here  dark  ravines  and  plunging  waterfalls  multiply 
themselves.  Not  small,  spraylike  bodies  of  water, 
like  many  in  Switzerland,  but  fierce,  restless  bodies 
of  foaming  torrents,  sweeping  headlong  over  abrupt 
declivities  three  hundred  feet  in  height.  The  system 
of  mountains  does  not  form  a  continuous  range,  but 
consists  of  a  succession  of  plateaus  and  of  detached 
mountains  rising  from  elevated  bases.  Thus,  Adam's 


224  THE  PEARL  OF  INDIA. 

Peak,  were  it  to  rise  to  its  present  height  from  a 
plain  at  about  the  level  of  the  ocean,  would  be  far 
more  grand  and  impressive  than  it  now  is,  with  its 
direct  upheaval  beginning  from  so  elevated  a  base. 
So  in  the  instance  of  the  two  famous  mountains 
whi«h  rise  from  the  great  Mexican  plateau,  —  Mount 
Popocatepetl,  and  Mount  Ixtaccihuatl,  which  lose 
seven  thousand  feet  of  the  effect  of  their  real  height, 
because  their  base  starts  from  a  plain  situated  at  that 
elevation  above  the  sea. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Historical  Kandy.  —  Importance  of  Good  Roads.  —  Native  Popula- 
tion.—Temple  of  Buddha's  Tooth.  — The  Old  Palace.  — Gov- 
ernor's House.  —  Great  Resort  of  Pilgrims.  —  Interior  of  the 
Temple.  —  The  Humbug  of  Relics.  —  Priests  of  the  Yellow  Robe. 

—  A  Sacred  Bo-Tree.  —  Diabolical  Services  in  the  Ancient  Temple. 

—  Regular    Heathen   Powwow.  —  Singhalese   Music.  —  Emulating 
Midnight     Tomcats.  —  Chronic     Beggary.  —  The     Old     Parisian 
Woman  with  Wooden  Legs.  —  A  Buddhist  Rock-Temple. 

KANDY  is  a  place  of  more  than  ordinary  interest  in 
Ceylon,  on  account  of  its  historical  relations.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  a  native  king  reigned  here  as 
recently  as  1814.  The  recklessness,  cruelty,  and 
grievous  tyranny  of  this  potentate  hastened  his  down- 
fall, causing  his  native  subjects  to  join  the  English  in 
effecting  his  overthrow.  The  government  took  forci- 
ble possession  of  the  place  in  1815,  capturing  the 
king  and  sending  him  to  Bengal  as  a  political  pris- 
oner, where  he  died  seventeen  years  later.  The  sys- 
tematic brutality  of  this  ruler  was  exercised  so  lately 
that  its  detail  is  preserved,  forming  a  horrible  story  of 
barbarous  cruelty.  One  elephant  was  trained  as  an 
executioner,  whose  duty  it  was  to  tread  to  death  any 
condemned  political  or  other  prisoner.  Eich  and 
poor,  priest  and  soldier,  are  said  to  have  rejoiced  at 
the  banishment  of  this  tyrant. 

When  the  Kandian  kings  died,  their  bodies  were 


226  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

cremated  with  great  ceremony.  It  was  not  the  same 
here  as  it  is  and  was  in  India  proper,  where  all 
classes  are  cremated ;  only  kings,  nobles,  and  priests 
enjoyed  the  privilege  in  the  island  of  Ceylon.  Kandy 
is  still  the  capital  of  the  central  province.  All 
the  efforts  of  the  Portuguese  and  afterward  of  the 
Dutch  to  conquer  this  mountain  region  were  un- 
availing, owing  to  its  isolation  and  its  inaccessibility. 
The  town  was  situated  in  a  valley,  guarded  by  narrow 
mountain  passes  which  a  few  determined  men  could 
effectually  defend.  The  district  was  also  girt  about 
by  tangled  forests  almost  impassable  except  by  birds, 
wild  beasts,  and  reptiles,  the  latter  being  the  chronic 
dread  of  the  European  invaders.  Only  foot  or  bridle 
paths  existed  between  populous  points  along  the 
coast  in  those  days.  There  were  no  roads  in  any 
direction  passable  for  wheeled  vehicles  during  the 
possession  of  the  island  by  the  two  nationalities 
spoken  of. 

The  English,  after  conquering  and  fortifying  the 
coast,  promptly  applied  themselves  to  the  opening  of 
broad,  well-engineered  roads  in  all  directions,  and 
especially  between  Colombo  and  Kandy,  so  that 
bodies  of  infantry  and  artillery  could  quickly  reach 
any  desired  point  in  efficient  numbers.  This  changed 
the  condition  of  affairs  most  essentially,  enabling  the 
new  invaders  to  conquer  and  bring  all  parts  of  the 
island  under  military  subjection.  Since  the  capture 
of  Kaiidy  in  1815  there  have  been  three  rebellious 


ROAD-BUILDING.  227 

uprisings  of  the  natives,  the  last  of  which  occurred  in 
1847,  which  the  English  officials  stamped  out  with 
such  rigor,  not  to  say  cruelty,  that  it  has  so  far  proved 
the  last  attempt  of  the  sort.  Lord  Torrington,  who 
was  then  governor  of  Ceylon,  incurred  the  censure  of 
the  home  government  for  the  needless  severity  of  the 
punishment  inflicted  upon  the  natives.  The  business 
of  road-making  between  important  points  has  been 
continued  ever  since,  supplemented  by  many  miles  of 
railway,  which  has  proved  to  be  the  most  potent  agent 
of  progress  which  could  be  devised.  Thus  have  been 
opened  to  free  access  rich  agricultural  and  mineral 
districts,  besides  promoting  intercourse  between  the 
natives  of  the  island  and  the  Europeans  on  the  coast. 
Railways  and  good  inland  roads  for  wheeled  vehicles 
are  great  promoters  of  true  civilization  and  progress. 
Polygamy,  which  had  so  long  defied  the  laws  of  these 
United  States,  was  a  doomed  institution  when  the 
first  iron  rail  reached  the  borders  of  Utah  Territory. 

The  people  of  this  ancient  capital  are  no  longer 
isolated ;  four  hours'  ride  upon  the  rail  takes  them  to 
Colombo. 

The  same  class  of  natives  are  met  with  at  Kandy 
as  are  seen  on  the  coast,  except  that  there  are  more 
shaven-headed  priests  in  yellow  robes,  one  end  of 
which  is  thrown  over  the  left  shoulder,  leaving  the 
right  arm  and  shoulder  bare.  The  wearers  are  marked 
by  a  moody,  unsatisfied  expression.  Aside  from  their 
office  and  connection  with  the  temples,  these  men 


228  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

command  no  respect  from  the  people,  being  generally 
illiterate  and  in  no  wise  superior  to  the  masses.  They 
assume  the  appearance  of  mendicants  in  accordance 
with  their  religious  profession,  and  are  inveterate  beg- 
gars, but  are  in  fact,  we  were  credibly  informed,  among 
the  richest  natives  in  Ceylon.  They  are  supposed  to 
live  solely  on  charity,  and  receive  no  ostensible  remu- 
neration for  their  priestly  services,  but  they  are 
shrewdly  hoarding  money  all  the  while  like  the  veriest 
miser,  while  their  social  relations,  like  their  Roman 
Catholic  brethren,  outrage  unblushingly  all  priestly 
rules.  \  There  are  fewer  Parsees  and  Moormen  in 
proportion  to  the  number  of  inhabitants.  These, 
being  of  the  trading  class,  generally  seek  Colombo  or 
Point  de  Galle,  where  they  find  congenial  occupation 
in  supplying  strangers  with  sapphires,  topazes,  rubies, 
and  precious  stones,  or  oftener  with  imitations  of 
these,  in  disposing  of  which  they  are  notable  experts. 
There  is  but  one  piece  of  advice  to  be  given  regarding 
these  harpies,  —  avoid  them  altogether. 

The  principal  object  of  interest  in  Kandy  is  the 
old  palace  and  the  far-famed  ancient  temple  of  Mala- 
gawa,  where  the  precious  tooth  of  Buddha  is  pre- 
served, and  yet  it  is  not  very  ancient,  as  the  word 
applies  to  temples  and  ruins  generally  in  Ceylon.  It 
was  built  in  the  fourteenth  century,  especially  to  form 
a  shrine  for  this  tooth,  and  it  is  held,  mainly  on  this 
account,  to  be  the  most  sacred  Buddhist  temple  in 
existence.  The  palace,  now  partially  improved  for 


GOVERNMENT  HOUSE.  229 

government  purposes,  was  built  just  about  three  hun- 
dred years  ago  by  the  Portuguese  prisoners  captured 
by  the  Kandians,  which  accounts  for  certain  European 
characteristics  about  the  edifice.  It  was  doubtless 
once  an  imposing  structure,  but  of  no  architectural 
interest.  It  faces  a  broad,  level  area,  where  in  olden 
times  elephant  fights  used  to  take  place  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  the  king  and  his  court,  —  a  cruel  sport,  in 
which  one  of  the  combatants  was  sure  to  lose  his  life, 
and  not  infrequently  both  were  fatally  injured.  The 
modern  Spanish  bull-fight  is  only  a  degree  more 
cruel,  and  both  exhibitions  are  equally  indicative  of 
the  national  character  of  the  promoters. 

The  one  residence  worthy  of  mention  in  Kandy 
proper  is  the  Pavilion  or  Governor's  House,  built  by 
Sir  E.  Barnes.  This  is  a  very  elegant  modern  struc- 
ture, combining  European  architecture  with  tropical 
adaptations,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  broad  colonnade. 
The  house  is  finished  externally  in  stucco,  with  a  hard 
polish  like  white  marble,  which  it  much  resembles. 
The  neighboring  grounds  are  very  beautifully  laid 
out,  and  are  kept  like  an  English  park,  the  view 
from  which  is  beyond  description  for  its  variety  and 
beauty. 

The  Temple  of  the  Tooth  has  no  claim  to  architec- 
tural beauty.  It  belongs  to  no  recognized  order,  and 
is  an  indescribable  old  shrine,  low,  black,  and  grimy, 
surmounted  at  its  eastern  extremity  by  a  tower 
manifestly  of  European  design,  which  is,  doubtless, 


230  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

a  comparatively  modern  addition.  The  whole  looks 
more  like  a  spacious  stable  than  an  oriental  shrine. 
This  temple  has  made  Kandy  the  Mecca  of  both  In- 
dia and  Ceylon,  attracting  great  numbers  of  pilgrims 
annually.  It  is  regarded  with  such  universal  rever- 
ence that  the  priests  of  Burmah  and  Siam  send  a 
personal  envoy  bearing  gifts  to  it  every  year,  besides 
furnishing  a  large  sum  annually  as  tribute  money.  A 
few  years  since,  an  earnest  effort  was  made  to  gain 
possession  of  the  alleged  tooth,  a  special  mission  hav- 
ing been  dispatched  from  Siam  for  the  purpose. 
These  agents  came  prepared  to  pay  a  quarter  of  a 
million  dollars  for  the  coveted  prize  ;  but  the  Kan- 
dian  priests  would  not  part  with  it  at  any  price  that 
,  could  be  named.  The  temple  of  Malagawa  is  a  curi- 
ous establishment,  with  its  gardens,  shrines,  and  fish 
ponds,  the  latter  well-filled  with  plethoric  turtles  and 
fish  of  a  "  sacred  "  kind,  which  come  eagerly  to  cer- 
tain points  at  the  call  of  the  priests,  to  be  fed  by 
pious  pilgrims. 

The  inner  walls  of  the  temple  are  decorated  with 
designs  that  are  anything  but  cheerful,  consisting  of 
paintings  intended  to  depict  the  various  sorts  of  hells 
which  will  be  awarded  to  erring  mortals  for  their 
special  earthly  sins.  The  place  absolutely  smells  of 
brimstone.  The  interest  of  our  little  party  centred 
most  upon  some  old  manuscript  books  written  upon 
talipot  palm  leaves  in  the  Pali,  Sanskrit,  and  Singha- 
lese languages.  The  pages  were  here  and  there  illus- 


THE  SACRED   TOOTH.  231 

trated  with  what  appeared  to  be  appropriate  designs, 
very  odd  to  be  sure,  but  yet  not  without  a  certain 
crude  artistic  taste.  The  books  were  bound  in  silver 
open-work  covers  or  frames. 

The  famous  tooth  which  is  made  so  much  of  in  this 
mouldy  old  temple  is  far  too  large  to  have  ever  come 
from  the  mouth  of  a  human  being,  and  is  probably 
that  of  some  defunct  elephant  or  crocodile.  Indeed, 
the  original  article  which  it  is  supposed  to  represent 
is  proved  to  have  been  destroyed  centuries  since, 
when  by  the  fortune  of  war  it  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  unbelievers.  The  author  did  not  see  the  tooth. 
It  was  described  to  him  as  being  deposited  in  a  small 
apartment  upon  a  silver  table  beneath  a  bell-shaped 
cover,  the  latter  heavy  with  precious  gems.  Here, 
lying  within  the  leaves  of  a  large  golden  lotus,  is  the 
resting-place  of  the  much-venerated  piece  of  ivory. 
The  tooth,  duly  guarded  and  with  great  pomp,  is 
carried  about  the  town  once  a  year,  just  as  the 
Indian  idol,  Juggernaut,  takes  its  annual  airing  from 
the  lofty  temple  at  Tanjore,  drawn  by  hundreds  of 
worshipers. 

It  is  exhibited  by  the  official  priests,  and  only  on 
special  occasions,  with  tokens  of  profound  reverence. 
It  was  shown  to  the  Prince  of  Wales  in  1875,  and  to 
his  two  sons  in  1882.  The  author  well  remembers  a 
personal  experience  in  the  crypt  of  a  certain  Roman 
Catholic  Church  in  Italy,  where  he  was  being  shown 
a  collection  of  "  sacred  "  relics,  pieces  of  the  "  true 


232  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

cross,"  etc.,  together  with  a  lot  of  "  holy"  vestments 
rendered  heavy  by  pretended  gems  of  great  value 
wrought  into  the  texture  of  the  clothing. 

j#£Do  you,"  was  asked  of  the  attendant  priest  at  the 
time,  uwho  are  so  intelligent,  believe  in  the  genuine- 
ness of  these  pretended  stones  ?  " 

"  They  have  their  use,"  was  his  evasive  reply. 

"  You  certainly  know  that  these  so-called  emeralds, 
rubies,  and  sapphires,  are  of  glass  and  worthless?" 
we  continued. 

The  answer  was  a  cool  shrug  of  the  shoulders  and 
a  hasty  covering  up  of  the  garments.  The  author 
knew  too  much  about  gems  to  be  easily  deceived,  and 
the  priest  had  permitted  him  to  scrutinize  them  more 
closely  than  was  usual.  The  original  gems,  if  real 
ones  had  ever  been  used,  had  been  purloined  by 
priestly  connivance,  and  false  stones  supplied  to  fill 
their  placet 

A  far  more  interesting  and  probably  much  more 
genuine  relic  than  the  tooth  which  is  so  reverently 
preserved  in  the  Kandy  temple  is  a  rudely  engraved 
metallic  dish  or  "  alms  pot,"  which  is  said  to  have 
been  the  personal  property  of  Buddha,  —  the  recep- 
tacle for  the  coins  contributed  by  the  mass  of  the 
people  in  charity.  The  Singhalese  priests  of  to-day 
carry  a  similar  brass  bowl  for  a  like  purpose,  and 
are  not  at  all  backward  in  making  their  demands  for 
contributions  from  strangers. 

These  Kandian  priests  of  the  yellow  robe  are  low- 


AN  AGED  TREE.  233 

bred  and  ignorant.  We  speak  of  them  as  a  body. 
There  are  some  brilliant  exceptions,  but  as  a  rule 
they  have  few  qualities  calculated  to  command  re- 
spect. Cleanliness  with  them  is  also  one  of  the  lost 
arts,  notwithstanding  the  pretended  multiplicity  of 
their  baths,  while  their  ceaseless  habit  of  chewing  the 
repulsive  betelnut  and  expectorating  the  red  saliva  in 
all  directions  is  extremely  disgusting,  equaled  only 
by  the  filthy  habits  of  tobacco-chewers. 

We  have  said  that  the  mouldy  old  Buddhist  Temple 
of  the  Tooth  at  Kandy  was  the  most  interesting  and 
attractive  object  to  all  strangers,  but  there  is  also 
here  a  tree,  if  tradition  is  correct,  so  aged  and  sacred 
in  the  eyes  of  the  people  as  to  almost  rival  the  temple 
in  attractiveness.  It  is  an  ancient  bo-tree, — the 
sacred  Indian  fig,  —  situated  in  the  spacious  grounds 
attached  to  the  temple.  It  has  widely  extended, 
scraggy  limbs,  is  high,  irregular  in  form,  and  un- 
doubtedly very  old.  It  is  as  sincerely  bowed  down 
to  by  pilgrims  from  afar  as  is  the  altar  in  the  temple. 
Its  very  leaves  are  treasured  with  devout  care,  and 
the  pilgrim  counts  himself  specially  blessed  who  is 
able  to  bear  one  away  to  his  distant  home,  as  a 
charm  against  all  earthly  ills.  No  one  will  presume 
to  pluck  a  leaf  of  this  tree,  much  as  they  may  crave 
its  possession.  The  leaf  must  fall  from  the  branches 
in  its  maturity,  and  of  its  own  volition,  in  order  to 
yield  its  maximum  of  blessings  to  the  holder.  Local 
authority  declares  the  Kandy  bo-tree  to  be  the  oldest 


234  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

one  living.  Its  record,  they  say,  has  been  kept  since 
three  hundred  years  before  Christ,  or  say  for  two 
thousand  two  hundred  years.  As  there  is  at  least 
one  other  similar  tree  in  Ceylon  for  which  about  the 
same  degree  of  antiquity  is  claimed,  it  may  reason- 
ably be  doubted  if  both  stories  are  correct.  The 
other  tree  is  situated  among  the  ruins  of  Anuradha- 
pura,  planted,  as  its  record  declares,  two  hundred 
and  forty  years  before  the  Christian  era.  It  is 
somewhat  surprising  how  universally  the  extreme  age 
which  is  claimed  for  this  tree  is  credited  even  by  the 
English  residents  of  the  island  who  are  familiar  with 
Buddhist  chronicles.  That  both  these  trees  are  very 
old  is  plain  enough,  but  when  we  designate  time  past 
by  the  thousands  of  years,  one  must  be  somewhat 
over-credulous  to  accord  such  great  antiquity  to 
either  of  them,  or  indeed  to  any  object  of  a  perish- 
able nature.  And  yet  there  are  trees  belonging  to 
the  locust  family,  as  the  author  can  bear  testimony, 
growing  among  the  West  India  Islands,  declared  to 
be  over  three  thousand  years  old.  This  is  in  part 
corroborated  by  well-known  visible  characteristics  of 
the  locust  which  are  clearly  defined,  and  many  in- 
telligent arborists  credit  their  longevity.  There  are 
thousands  of  bo-trees  planted  all  over  India  proper 
and  Ceylon,  in  memory  of  Buddha,  which  are  held  of 
a  sacred  character,  and  no  good  Buddhist  will  cut 
one  down.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Humboldt 
saw  a  cypress  in  Mexico,  a  league  from  the  capital,  in 


NOISY  CEREMONIES.  235 

the  Chapultepec  grove,  which  he  estimated  to  be  six 
thousand  years  old.  It  does  seem  as  though  scien- 
tists were  a  somewhat  credulous  class. 

Services  and  ceremonies  of  an  appropriate  char- 
acter—  that  is,  in  accordance  with  the  faith  of  this 
people  —  are  constantly  going  on  in  and  about  the 
Temple  of  the  Tooth,  night  and  day,  all  the  year 
round.  Our  hotel  at  Kandy  was  opposite  and  very 
near  to  the  old  shrine,  and  night  was  made  hideous 
for  us  by  the  senseless  howling  of  the  priests  and  the 
notes  of  the  drum,  cymbals,  and  fife,  supplemented 
now  and  again  by  the  blowing  of  blasts  upon  a  conch- 
shell,  more  shrill  and  piercing  than  a  fishhorn  signal- 
ing in  a  fog.  The  unearthly  noises  which  issued  from 
the  open  doors  of  the  temple  of  Malagawa  was  some- 
thing dreadful  at  midnight,  and  utterly  inexcusable 
upon  any  pretense  whatever. 

"  How  can  these  priests  and  their  assistants  main- 
tain sufficient  interest  to  keep  up  this  terrible  din  so 
ceaselessly?  "  was  asked  of  a  local  planter. 

"The  funds  of  the  temple  are  ample,"  was  the 
reply.  "  There  is  a  constant  flow  of  rupees  into  the 
treasury,  and  these  people  are  well  paid  for  their  ser- 
vices in  keeping  up  the  sham." 

"  Whence  comes  the  money?  "  was  asked. 

"  Large  sums  come  from  India  and  from  visiting 
pilgrims,  besides  which  the  faithful  native  Sin- 
ghalese contribute  in  the  aggregate  no  inconsiderable 
amount." 


236  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

"  Credulous  orientals,"  was  our  response. 

"  You  must  remember,"  was  our  companion's  reply, 
"  that  this  edifice  and  the  surroundings,  including  the 
bo-tree,  is  considered  the  holiest  spot  in  all  the  Bud- 
dhistic world." 

The  ceremonies  which  took  place  within  the  temple 
during  a  brief  visit  by  the  author  consisted  of  gro- 
tesque dances  and  the  beating  of  drums  and  blowing 
of  horns,  all  without  any  apparent  rhyme  or  reason. 
A  procession  of  dirty  priests,  preceded  by  a  drum 
and  fife,  passed  hither  and  thither  before  an  altar 
upon  which  incense  was  burning.  No  coherence  of 
purpose,  however,  was  exhibited  by  any  one,  but  each 
person  seemed  to  be  trying  to  make  all  the  noise  and 
grotesque  gesticulations  possible.  A  North  American 
Indian  powwow  would  be  a  fair  comparison  to  the 
performance  which  was  witnessed  on  this  occasion. 
A  few  pilgrims,  after  first  pouring  water  upon  their 
hands  and  feet,  purchased  flowers  from  venders  who 
frequent  the  doors  of  the  temple,  and  placed  them 
on  and  about  the  altar.  This  was  the  most  sensi- 
ble and  consistent  procedure  which  was  adopted  by 
priest  or  layman  inside  the  temple  walls.  The 
flowers  were  the  white  blossoms  of  the  frangipani, 
whose  fragrance  was  oppressively  strong.  It  was  a 
great  relief  to  get  outside  of  the  moss-grown  edifice, 
far  away  from  the  horrible  din  and  the  terribly 
offensive  smell,  which  permeated  not  only  the  place, 
but  one's  clothing  for  hours  afterwards. 


NATIVE  MUSIC.  237 

There  are  seven  other  temples  and  chapels  at 
Kaiidy,  belonging  to  different  denominations,  besides 
two  Buddhist  ecclesiastical  colleges.  The  Malwatta 
temple  is  worth  a  visit,  it  being  the  most  important 
Buddhist  monastery,  where  all  the  priests  of  the 
order  in  Ceylon,  upon  assuming  the  yellow  robe 
which  is  their  badge  of  office,  come  to  formally  utter 
their  solemn  vows.  These  bronzed  priests,  in  saffron- 
colored,  toga-like  robes,  followed  by  an  attendant 
carrying  a  yellow  silk  umbrella,  are  rather  striking 
figures  in  the  thoroughfares  of  this  inland  town.  In 
the  time  of  the  late  king,  no  one  but  his  imperial 
majesty  and  the  priesthood  were  permitted  to  carry 
an  umbrella,  but  men  with  no  other  covering  from 
the  sun  but  a  cloth  wound  about  the  hips  carry  this 
article  in  our  day,  and  derive  much  comfort  from  the 
shade  it  affords. 

The  less  said  about  what  these  natives  call  music 
the  better.  Indeed,  it  would  seem  as  though  oriental 
music  was  invented  only  to  torment  European  ears. 
Ivory  horns,  tom-toms,  fifes,  and  the  rudest  sort  of 
bass  drums  are  the  instruments  most  in  use  with  the 
Singhalese,  a  few  Chinese  stringed  contrivances  being 
occasionally  added,  simply  increasing  the  horror. 
The  sounds  of  the  latter  instruments  resemble  most 
the  cries  of  a  pugnacious  conclave  of  tomcats  on  the 
rampage  at  midnight.  The  query  forcibly  suggests 
itself  in  this  connection,  as  to  whether  the  instru- 
mental music  of  western  civilized  people  can  possibly 


238  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

sound  to  these  orientals  so  uncouth  and  so  hideous  as 
do  their  own  performances  to  us. 

In  the  porch  of  the  Kandy  temple  and  its  immedi- 
ate vicinity,  just  as  one  sees  in  and  about  the  Roman 
Catholic  churches  of  Europe,  are  groups  of  wretched- 
looking  beggars,  at  all  hours,  most  of  whom,  after  the 
conventional  style  prevailing  elsewhere,  exhibit  some 
physical  deformity  which  is  their  stock  in  trade. 
Some  of  these  endeavor  to  excite  sympathy  by  thrust- 
ing self-inflicted  wounds  before  the  stranger's  eyes,  — 
wounds  which  are  kept  in  a  chronic  condition  of  sore- 
ness by  various  irritating  processes  adopted  for  this 
purpose.  One  cannot  but  be  impressed  as  much 
through  the  picturesqueness  of  the  scene  presented 
by  the  half-naked,  ragged,  cadaverous  throng  as  by 
the  sad  moral  which  these  poor  creatures  suggest. 
There  are  adroit  and  ingenious  beggars  all  over  the 
globe,  and  nowhere  do  they  more  abound  than  in  the 
East ;  individuals  amply  able  to  care  for  themselves, 
but  who  prefer  to  exercise  persistent  industry  and 
cannibalism,  so  to  speak,  in  living  upon  their  fellow- 
men.  The  same  degree  of  assiduity  practiced  in 
legitimate  business  or  useful  occupation  of  almost  any 
sort  would  insure  ample  and  respectable  support. 
Begging  and  painted  distress  are  indigenous  to  all 
climes. 

Who  that  has  ever  been  in  Paris  does  not  remem- 
ber an  old  woman,  neatly  but  plainly  dressed,  who  sits 
daily,  rain  or  shine,  at  the  corner  of  the  Boulevard 


A  MARRIAGE  PORTION.  239 

Capucine  and  the  Place  de  1'Opera.  She  has  sat 
there  for  years,  and  sits  there  still,  with  two  wooden 
stumps  in  place  of  legs  very  conspicuously  displayed. 
She  does  not  speak  to  passers-by,  nor  does  she  ever 
solicit  charity,  but  she  accepts  with  grateful  signifi- 
cance the  silver  and  copper  coins  which  are  constantly 
dropped  into  her  lap  by  a  sympathetic  public.  The 
average  man  or  woman  who  is  able  to  be  charitable 
is  more  or  less  practically  so,  and  it  is  gratifying 
to  indulge  the  creditable  instinct.  This  woman  of 
whom  we  have  spoken  had  a  daughter  married  not 
long  since,  on  which  occasion  she  received  a  dowry 
from  her  wooden-legged  mamma  of  fifty  thousand 
francs ! 

Let  us  not  always  be  critical ;  if  the  object  of  our 
charity  is  really  unworthy,  then  we  have  given  our 
mite  to  humanity. 

There  is  a  very  pleasant  drive  which  the  visitor  to 
Kandy  must  not  forget  to  enjoy.  We  refer  to  Hindo 
Galla,  where  a  unique  Buddhist  rock-temple  may  be 
visited  among  a  wilderness  of  boulders.  There  are  a 
score  of  priests  in  charge,  quite  ready  to  act  as  cice- 
rones  to  visitors.  The  available  grounds  about  the 
temple  are  crowded  with  palms,  tree-ferns,  and  flowers. 
There  is  also  a  fine  old  bo-tree  dominating  the  place, 
which  attracts  the  usual  devotional  attention  of  all 
true  believers,  and  concerning  the  antiquity  of  which 
there  is  the  usual  amount  of  credulity. 

About  eight  or  nine  miles  from  Kandy  on  the  road 


240  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

towards  Colombo,  at  the  village  of  Angtmawela,  is  an 
old  Buddhist  temple,  which  stands  on  the  summit  of 
an  almost  perpendicular  rock.  This  edifice  is  in  ex- 
cellent preservation,  and  is  a  fine  specimen  of  Kan- 
dian  temple  architecture.  One  is  well  paid  for  a  visit 
to  Angunawela  and  its  local  attractions. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Ceylon  the  Mecca  of  Buddhism.  —  The  Drives  about  Kandy.  —  Fruit 
of  the  Cashew.  —  Domestic  Prison  of  Arabi  Pasha.  —  "  Egypt  for 
the  Egyptians."  —  Hillside  Bungalows.  —  Kandy  Hotels  at  a  Dis- 
count. —  The  Famous  Botanical  Garden  of  Ceylon.  —  India-Rubber- 
Trees,  Bamboos,  and  Flying  Foxes.  —  Dangerous  Reptiles  in  the 
Garden.  —  The  Boa  Constrictor.  —  Success  of  Peruvian-Bark  Rais- 
ing. —  Vicious  Land  Leeches.  —  The  Burrowing  and  Tormenting 
Tick.  — Where  Sugar  comes  from  in  Ceylon. 

CEYLON  is  the  classic  ground  of  Buddhism  and 
Kandy  is  its  Mecca,  whither  trend  the  devout  fol- 
lowers of  the  prophet  in  myriads  yearly.  Rock-cut 
temples  and  other  shrines  are  scattered  over  the  hilly 
portions  of  the  island,  some  of  which  are  large,  some 
small,  but  each  one  having  a  stone  image  of  Buddha 
wrought  after  the  conventional  pattern.  Most  of 
these  cave-temples  are  over  a  thousand  years  old, 
and  some  are  twice  that  age,  overgrown  by  jungle 
vines  and  tall  palms.  Next  to  Christianity,  Buddhism 
is  the  most  widely  diffused  religious  institution  in 
existence.  Its  code  of  morals,  taken  as  a  whole,  is  as 
perfect  as  the  world  has  ever  seen  formulated.  Does 
the  reader  understand  that  most  of  the  great  truths 
and  wise  axioms  designed  as  rules  of  life  which  are 
prescribed  in  our  Bible  are  found  in  the  Buddhist 
scriptures  ?  Above  all,  let  us  remember  that  the  fol- 
lowers of  this  ancient  oriental  creed,  professed  at  this 


242  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

writing  by  one  third  of  the  human  family,  have  never 
shed  a  drop  of  blood  to  make  a  proselyte. 

The  drives  about  Kandy  are  over  the  most  excel- 
lent roads,  to  follow  which  is  like  threading  the  paths 
of  a  continuous  garden,  while  the  air  is  laden  with 
the  fragrance  of  sweet-smelling  lemon  grass.  Home- 
like, picturesque  bungalows  dot  the  hillsides  as  well 
as  the  shores  of  the  lake  already  described.  The 
roads  which  lead  around  the  hills  afford  beautiful 
views ;  both  far  and  near,  turn  where  we  may,  the 
locality  is  full  of  pictures,  enduring,  and  lovely  to 
recall.  This  especially  applies  to  a  perfectly  con- 
structed road,  known  as  Lady  Horton's  Walk,  the 
views  from  which  are  indescribably  beautiful.  It  is  a 
broad,  winding  way  around  one  of  the  most  prominent 
hills,  designed  and  constructed  by  the  wife  of  Sir 
Wilmot  Horton.  As  to  the  fragrant  lemon  grass,  it 
covers  most  of  the  hillsides  in  the  more  open  moun- 
tain districts  of  Ceylon,  and  is  particularly  abundant 
in  the  central  province.  There  is  an  essential  oil 
produced  from  this  pungent  grass  which  is  known  in 
commerce  as  citronella,  a  delightful  and  universally 
favorite  extract.  Wild  blackberries  and  raspberries 
abound  in  this  district.  There  is  a  peculiar  fruit 
found  here  as  well  as  elsewhere  in  the  island,  called 
the  cashew,  which  persists  in  outraging  all  our  ideas 
of  consistency  by  producing  its  nut  outside  of  the 
skin.  This  recalls  a  somewhat  similar  eccentricity  ex- 
hibited by  cherries  in  Australia,  which  have  the  stone 


ARABI  PASHA.  243 

which  forms  their  seed  on  the  exterior  instead  of  the 
inside  centre,  like  good,  wholesome,  well-behaved  cher- 
ries in  our  own  country.  The  fruit  of  the  cashew  is 
not  palatable,  but  its  juice,  when  distilled,  produces  a 
strong  intoxicating  spirit.  The  nuts  are  edible  when 
roasted  like  chestnuts. 

In  one  of  the  large  villa-bungalows  nestling  on 
the  hillside  overlooking  the  verdant  amphitheatre  of 
Kandy  lived  that  notable  political  prisoner,  Arabi 
Pasha,  with  his  ample  harem  and  a  host  of  body  ser- 
vants, forming  a  bit  of  Egyptian  domestic  life  trans- 
ported bodily  to  this  Indian  isle.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  he  was  exiled  from  Cairo  by  the  English 
about  twelve  years  since,  because  he  was  a  famous 
and  successful  fighting  general  among  his  people,  his 
special  battle-cry  being  "  Egypt  for  the  Egyptians." 
One  feels  a  lingering  sympathy  for  a  man  who  fought 
bravely  for  the  liberty  of  his  country,  very  nearly 
conquering  the  British  troops  on  the  sanguinary  field 
of  Tel-el-Keber ;  yet  this  man  deserves  more  blame 
than  praise,  for  it  was  he  who  recklessly  burned  Alex- 
andria, and  caused  a  reign  of  assassination  in  that 
devoted  city  for  many  terrible  days.  Though  a  pris- 
oner like  the  first  Napoleon  when  held  at  St.  Helena, 
Arabi  has  never  hesitated  to  freely  express  his  politi- 
cal opinions,  bitterly  condemning  his  conquerors.  He 
is  still  —  and  very  properly  we  think — the  ardent 
advocate  of  "  Egypt  for  the  Egyptians,"  and  even  in 
his  advanced  years  would  promptly  head  a  rebellion 


244  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

against  English  rule  in  his  native  land,  were  he  at 
liberty  to  do  so. 

A  report  has  lately  been  circulated  that  Arabi 
Pasha  has  been  permitted  to  return  to  Egypt,  but  as 
to  its  truth  the  author  cannot  answer. 

Each  of  these  hillside  dwellings,  like  that  occupied 
by  Arabi  Pasha's,  covers  a  large  space  of  ground. 
They  are  seldom  over  one  story  in  height,  and  have  a 
tall,  steep-pitched  roof  of  red  tiles  or  thatch,  and  wide 
verandas  running  entirely  round  the  whole  structure, 
half  covered  by  thrifty  creepers  and  flowering  vines. 
The  roof  generally  reaches  beyond  the  veranda  until 
it  ends  six  or  eight  feet  from  the  ground.  The  inte- 
rior of  the  dwelling  is  dark  and  cool,  as  the  doors 
and  windows  all  open  beneath  the  shade  of  the  roof. 
No  sunshine  can  penetrate  these  dwellings,  and  con- 
sequently there  is  an  inevitable  unwholesome  damp- 
ness ever  present  inside  them. 

The  population  of  Kandy  amounts  to  some  twenty- 
two  or  three  thousand,  embracing  but  a  few  Euro- 
peans, —  that  is,  comparatively  speaking.  Those  of 
the  latter  class  not  included  in  the  government  depart- 
ments are  mostly  interested  in  tea,  coffee,  or  cinchona 
raising,  in  the  immediate  neighborhood.  The  Euro- 
peans have  established  two  small  hotels,  or  at  least 
they  are  called  hotels  ;  but  any  one  obliged  to  tax 
their  hospitality  for  a  considerable  length  of  time  has 
our  sincere  commiseration. 

The  author's  experience  on  the  occasion  of  his  first 


A  KANDY  HOTEL.  245 

visit  to  Kandy  in  the  matter  of  hotel  accommodation 
was  not  especially  agreeable.  Passing  over  the  abun- 
dance of  insectivorous  annoyances,  —  centipedes  upon 
the  walls,  gigantic  cockroaches  on  the  floor,  and  ants 
upon  everything,  —  it  was  rather  severe  to  be  obliged 
to  remove  one's  bed  from  beneath  a  leaking  roof,  which 
admitted  a  steady  stream  of  water.  When  it  rains  in 
these  latitudes,  it  does  so  by  wholesale ;  not  in  little 
pattering  drops,  but  in  avalanches  and  miniature 
Niagaras.  However,  a  large  tub  being  produced,  we 
were  lulled  to  sleep  by  the  dull  sound  of  dripping 
water,  to  awake  next  morning  and  find  the  recepta- 
cle overflowing.  The  novelty  of  the  situation  often 
smooths  over  the  keen  edge  of  discomfort.  The  fire- 
flies that  night  floated  about  the  chamber  in  such 
numbers  as  to  dispute  the  illuminating  power  with 
the  primitive  light  supplied  to  guests,  which  consisted 
of  a  small  button  of  cork,  with  a  bit  of  cotton  wick- 
ing,  floating  upon  a  shallow  dish  of  cocoanut  oil. 

There  are  several  missionary  chapels  in  Kandy,  be- 
sides an  Episcopal  church,  a  library,  and  a  reading- 
room  for  public  use.  Very  little  visible  business 
seems  to  be  transacted  here,  but  as  to  the  natural  sur- 
roundings of  this  inland  capital,  the  scenery,  the  ar- 
boreal beauties,  and  the  floral  charms,  too  much  cannot 
be  said  in  commendation.  It  seems  to  a  casual  vis- 
itor to  be  the  most  attractive  district  in  the  island, 
forgetting,  as  every  reasonable  traveler  learns  to  do, 
the  few  local  annoyances. 


246  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

The  justly  famous  Botanical  Gardens  of  Ceylon 
form  a  marvel  of  plant  life,  and  are  situated  about 
three  miles  from  Kandy  proper.  The  grounds  are 
entered  through  a  grand  avenue  of  india-rubber-trees, 
whose  tall,  widespread  branches  are  heavy  with  pol- 
ished dark  green,  leather-like  leaves,  vividly  recalling 
the  splendid  avenue  of  palms  in  the  public  garden  of 
Rio  Janeiro,  situated  behind  the  tall  peak  of  the  Cor- 
covado,  —  "  the  Hunchback."  This  garden  of  Cey- 
lon occupies  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  and  is 
surrounded  on  three  sides  by  the  Maha-velle-Ganga. 
The  india-rubber-trees  are  buttressed  by  large,  ex- 
posed white  roots,  very  anaconda-like  at  first  view, 
showing  that  this  tree  draws  its  subsistence  largely 
from  atmospheric  air.  The  roots  often  spread  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  in  diameter,  so  twisted  and  pecu- 
liar in  shape  that  the  natives  call  it  the  snake-tree. 
The  removal  of  the  milk-white  secretion  by  tapping 
does  it  no  apparent  injury,  it  being  a  distinct  pro- 
duct, flowing  in  a  different  channel,  it  would  seem, 
from  the  sustaining  sap.  We  were  informed  that  a 
healthy,  full-grown  tree  might  be  drawn  upon  daily 
for  two  thirds  of  the  year  with  good  results.  The 
Ceylon  species  of  the  india-rubber-tree  is  not  nearly 
so  productive  of  the  peculiar  secretion  which  makes 
its  value  as  those  which  are  indigenous  to  South 
America.  Indeed,  it  is  not  a  native  of  this  Indian 
island,  but  was  introduced  by  the  Portuguese  while 
they  held  sway.  No  attempt  is  made  here  to  produce 


A  BOTANICAL   GARDEN.  247 

the  article  known  as  gutta  -  percha  in  commercial 
quantities,  and,  indeed,  the  tree  is  not  sufficiently 
abundant  in  Ceylon.  The  headquarters  of  this  in- 
dustry are  at  Para,  on  the  coast  of  Brazil,  where 
the  product  of  the  india-rubber-tree  forms  the  great 
staple  of  the  exports,  and  its  collection  in  the  neigh- 
boring forests  gives  employment  to  a  large  share  of 
the  native  population. 

This  elaborate  garden,  one  league  south  of  Kandy, 
probably  forms  the  choicest  and  most  extensive  collec- 
tion of  plant  life  in  the  world.  It  is,  except  for  the 
nature  of  its  tropical  vegetation,  like  a  well-kept 
European  conservatory  or  park,  ornamented  by 
choice  lawns  and  magnificent  groups  of  trees,  special 
families  being  arranged  together.  The  average  tem- 
perature here  is  recorded  at  77°  Fahr.  This,  together 
with  the  natural  and  abundant  moisture,  insures  the 
very  best  results.  A  small  stream  runs  through  the 
middle  of  the  grounds,  widening  here  and  there  into  a 
tiny  lake,  where  a  great  variety  of  aquatic  plants  thrive 
luxuriantly,  including  the  gorgeous  and  ever  attrac- 
tive lotus,  together  with  many  other  examples  of  the 
lily  family.  This  garden  has  been  organized  for 
about  seventy-five  years,  —  to  be  exact,  it  was  opened 
in  1819,  —  during  which  period  the  original  idea  has 
been  well  adhered  to,  of  introducing  by  its  means 
such  plants  as  are  not  indigenous,  but  which  might,  if 
cultivated  here,  be  of  real  benefit  to  the  inhabitants. 
Fortunately,  it  has  always  been  presided  over  by  an 


248  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

enthusiastic  and  scientific  horticulturist.  All  kinds 
of  useful  vegetation  of  tropical  regions  are  repre- 
sented, their  nature  studied,  and  a  record  kept  of  the 
same,  while  seeds,  cuttings,  fruits,  and  the  like  are 
freely  distributed  to  farmers  and  planters,  European 
and  native.  The  variety  of  palms  in  these  grounds  is 
a  revelation  to  the  average  visitor,  as  few  persons 
know  how  many  distinctive  examples  there  are  of  this 
invaluable  member  of  the  arboreal  family  of  the  East, 
some  of  which  are  stupendous  in  size.  We  have 
been  told  that  the  garden  contained  two  hundred  and 
fifty  distinct  varieties  of  the  palm,  but  one  may 
reasonably  have  doubts  as  to  so  large  an  aggregate. 
Among  them  are  talipots,  palmyras,  cocoanuts,  the 
slender  areca,  the  date  palm,  and  the  fan  palm, 
already  described,  spreading  out  its  broad  leaves  like 
a  peacock's  tail.  This  is  often  called  the  traveler's 
tree,  because  the  trunk  is  never  without  a  supply  of 
pure  water  with  which  to  quench  his  thirst.  When 
pierced  with  a  knife  at  the  juncture  of  the  stems,  it 
yields  copious  draughts  of  water.  Here  one  sees 
palms  from  Cuba,  Guinea,  China,  Africa,  and  Brazil, 
each  exhibiting  some  special  characteristics  of  im- 
portance, and  all  thriving,  together  with  clumps  of 
climbing  rattans.  These  latter,  not  thicker  than 
one's  finger,  yet  wind  about  the  trees  from  two  to 
three  hundred  feet  in  height,  having  the  longest 
stem  of  any  known  plant.  Small  groves  of  nutmegs, 
cloves,  mangoes,  citrons,  and  pepper-trees  attract  the 


BEAUTIFUL  ARBOREAL  EFFECTS.         249 

visitor's  attention,  together  with  budding  cinnamon 
and  cardamom  bushes ;  nor  must  we  forget  to  mention 
the  fragrant  vanilla-tree,  which  to  the  author  recalled 
a  delightful  experience  in  far-away  southern  Mexico, 
where  a  mountain  side  near  Oxala  was  rendered 
lovely  and  delicious  by  the  profuse  growth  of  this 
flavoring  product  of  the  tropics. 

Here  and  there  a  tall,  thrifty  acacia  is  seen,  suffused 
with  golden-yellow  bloom  in  rich  profusion.  Except- 
ing the  California  pepper-tree,  with  its  drooping  clus- 
ters of  useless  but  lovely  scarlet  berries,  the  varieties 
of  the  acacia  are  unrivaled  as  beautiful  shade  trees. 
When  in  full  bloom,  under  the  dazzling  rays  of  an 
equatorial  sun,  they  seem  to  be  all  on  fire,  forming  a 
strong  contrast  to  the  prevailing  dark  green  of  the 
tropics. 

The  flower  of  the  cinnamon-tree  is  white,  and  when 
a  range  of  country  containing  many  acres  in  bloom 
comes  into  view,  the  effect  is  very  beautiful.  The 
best  cinnamon  gardens  are  nearest  to  the  sea  coast, 
and  those  so  situated  produce  the  most  pungent  bark. 
On  the  occasion  of  our  visit,  special  notice  was  taken 
of  a  group  of  bamboos  in  the  Kandy  garden,  the 
bright  yellow  stems  being  over  a  hundred  feet  in 
height,  and  each  stem  at  the  base  measuring  from 
eight  to  ten  inches  in  diameter.  It  was  a  native  of 
the  spot,  and,  as  we  were  assured,  was  a  chance  devel- 
opment. The  rapidity  of  its  growth,  which  is  a 
remarkable  characteristic  of  this  tropical  ^rass,  —  for 


250  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

that  is  its  family,  —  is  almost  incredible.  The  clus- 
ter here  spoken  of  was  a  little  more  than  ninety  days 
old,  and,  as  the  superintendent  informed  us,  it  increased 
in  height  twelve  inches  and  more  each  twenty-four 
hours.  This  group  of  bamboos  formed  a  grove  by 
itself,  two  hundred  feet  in  circumference,  its  feathery, 
misty  foliage  yielding  gracefully  to  every  pressure 
of  the  breeze,  softly  fanning  the  surface  of  the  still 
water  on  whose  brink  it  flourished.  The  bamboo, 
like  the  palm,  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  and  uni- 
versal products  of  the  tropics.  It  would  require  an 
entire  volume  to  enumerate  the  various  uses  to  which 
these  two  are  applied  by  native  skill.  The  division 
of  the  garden  called  the  fernery  is  a  delightful  resort, 
presenting  a  collection  ranging  from  the  low-growing 
maiden-hair  to  the  tall  tree-fern  with  broad-leaved, 
tufted  top  and  declining  branches. 

One  can  well  understand  how  easily  a  botanist  may 
become  absorbed  in  the  study  of  this  interesting  fam- 
ily of  plants.  The  variety  and  delicacy  of  form  which 
they  exhibit  is  infinite,  ranging  from  the  minutest 
specimens,  almost  like  moss,  to  trees  of  thirty  feet  in 
height,  with  palm-like  plumes.  In  the  famous  gar- 
dens just  outside  of  Calcutta,  the  author  visited  a 
large  conservatory  occupied  solely  as  a  fernery,  in 
which  over  thirty  thousand  specimens  were  classified. 

Mischievous  flying  foxes  abound  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Kandy,  proving  a  serious  annoyance  to  the 
planters,  often  taking  the  lion's  share  when  the  fruit 


FLYING  FOXES.  251 

is  ripe,  always  selecting  with  greedy  intelligence  the 
most  desirable  product  of  the  trees.  They  move  in 
flocks,  a  hundred  or  more  together,  stopping  where- 
ever  the  food  is  most  inviting.  The  natives  seem  to 
have  a  mysterious  dread  of  and  never  touch  them, 
but  European  hunters  sometimes  kill  and  eat  them, 
declaring  the  flesh  to  be  much  like  that  of  the  hare. 
The  creature  measures  nearly  three  feet  between  the 
tips  of  its  extended  wings.  The  flying  fox  is  unable 
to  take  flight  from  the  earth,  and  if  found  there  can 
easily  be  caught,  nor  can  they  run  under  such  circum- 
stances, but,  waddling  along,  seek  the  nearest  tree- 
trunk,  which  they  ascend  with  great  ease  by  means 
of  their  long,  sharp  claws.  From  the  branches  they 
throw  themselves  with  a  strong  impetus,  skimming 
for  considerable  distances  through  the  air,  like  the 
flying  squirrel  of  the  low  latitudes,  and  the  flying 
possum  of  Australia.  This  last  animal,  like  the  kan- 
garoo, is  found  only  in  the  country  just  named,  where 
the  natives,  having  no  religious  compunctions  as  to 
the  sacredness  of  animal  life,  kill  the  possum  and 
feast  heartily  upon  its  body  roasted  in  hunter's  style. 
It  is  not  quite  safe  to  walk  in  the  moist  and 
thickly  overgrown  parts  of  this  garden  of  Peradenia, 
—  the  local  name,  —  as  there  are  dangerous  snakes 
which  one  is  liable  to  encounter,  besides  other  rep- 
tiles of  low  latitudes,  not  always  poisonous,  but  best 
avoided.  Professor  Haeckel  tells  us  how  terrible  he 
found  the  nuisance  of  mosquitoes  and  stinging  flies  in 


252  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

this  tropical  garden.  "  There  are  of  course  mosqui- 
toes certain  in  all  such  places,"  he  says,  "  but  far  more 
dangerous  than  these  annoying  insects  are  the  poison- 
ous scorpions  and  millepeds,  of  which  I  have  collected 
some  splendid  specimens,  —  scorpions  six  inches  and 
millepeds  a  foot  long."  The  chameleon  is  not  so 
common  as  the  last-named  creatures  to  which  the  pro- 
fessor refers,  and  is  not  so  noticeable,  since  its  nature 
is  to  closely  reflect  the  color  of  the  tree  or  stone  on 
which  it  may  chance  to  rest  for  the  time  being.  They 
are  not  liable  to  be  detected  unless  in  motion. 

The  ticpolonga,  a  deadly  snake,  the  terror  of  the 
natives,  is  often  found  in  this  garden.  The  largest 
snake  in  Ceylon  is  the  boa  or  anaconda,  which  is  often 
seen  here  measuring  over  twenty  feet  in  length.  It 
feeds  mostly  on  small  animals,  and  is  very  little 
feared  either  by  the  natives  or  Europeans.  It  is  not 
an  agreeable  sight,  nevertheless,  as  the  reader  may  sup- 
pose, to,  see  a  large  boa  moving  along  the  ground  near 
one's  person,  and  free  to  act  its  own  pleasure.  Their 
deadly  coil  about  any  animal  is  almost  sure  death. 
The  many  vivid  stories  which  have  been  published 
about  the  aggressive  nature  of  this  creature  are,  we 
believe,  mostly  exaggerations.  The  poisonous  cobra, 
whose  bite  is  as  fatal  as  that  of  our  dreaded  rattle- 
snake, is  much  more  to  be  feared  under  ordinary 
circumstances.  The  larger  snake  must  be  very  hun- 
gry and  greatly  annoyed  to  induce  it  to  attack  any 
other  than  small  animals  like  a  rabbit  or  a  rat,  and 


DANGEROUS    SNAKES.  253 

as  a  rule  they  avoid  the  presence  of  human  be- 
ings. Nevertheless,  a  boa  will  sometimes  be  seized 
with  an  aggressive  purpose  without  any  apparent 
cause.  This  has  been  proved  in  several  instances 
where,  after  having  been  freely  handled  in  a  museum 
for  months  without  harm,  the  creature  has  suddenly 
applied  its  great  muscular  strength  to  the  purpose 
of  strangling  the  exhibitor,  winding  its  body  with 
lightning-like  rapidity  about  his  throat  and  body. 
Under  such  circumstances,  the  life  of  the  man  has 
been  saved  by  the  instant  action  of  associates,  who 
severed  the  snake's  body  in  several  places  with  sharp 
knives.  Any  other  attempted  relief  would  have  led 
to  an  increase  of  the  strangling  process.  In  one 
instance,  at  an  exhibition  in  this  country,  it  was 
necessary  to  cut  the  snake  away  piecemeal  with  a 
butcher's  knife  before  the  terrible  muscular  contrac- 
tion of  its  body  was  relaxed.  It  was  accomplished 
none  too  soon,  as  the  insensible  victim  was  already 
nearly  dead,  and  was  only  resuscitated  after  pro- 
longed and  skillful  effort. 

When  the  coffee  planters  of  this  central  district 
were  almost  in  despair  at  the  failure  of  their  coffee 
crops,  owing  to  the  blight  already  described,  the  di- 
rector of  the  Botanical  Garden  called  their  attention 
to  the  importance  of  devoting  their  lands  to  other 
purposes.  The  possibility  of  cultivating  the  cinchona- 
tree  to  advantage  was  suggested,  as  well  as  the  rais- 
ing of  tea.  Both  these  plans  were  given  a  trial,  and 


254  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

were  gradually  adopted.  Now,  both  industries  flour- 
ish vastly  in  Ceylon,  to  the  mutual  advantage  of  the 
planters  and  the  world  at  large.  The  seed  of  the 
cinchona-tree  is  first  planted  in  nurseries,  and  when 
a  year  old  the  plant  is  removed  to  prepared  grounds, 
where  it  makes  rapid  progress.  The  tree  does  not 
begin  to  yield  the  bark  which  constitutes  its  peculiar 
value  until  it  is  seven  or  eight  years  old,  when  a 
ready  market  is  found  for  all  that  can  be  produced, 
and  at  fairly  remunerative  prices.  The  latest  statis- 
tics to  which  the  author  could  gain  access  showed  that 
five  years  since,  Ceylon  was  exporting  sixteen  million 
pounds  of  the  medicinal  bark  annually,  an  aggregate 
which  would  rival  nearly  any  South  American  port, 
Peruvian  or  otherwise. 

While  in  this  vicinity,  one  of  our  party  was  bitten 
in  several  places  on  the  lower  limbs  by  what  proved 
to  be  land  leeches,  a  species  of  this  small  creature 
which  lives  in  dry  grounds  and  also  upon  trees,  bur- 
rowing in  the  bark.  From  the  proportions  of  a  darn- 
ing-needle, this  active  and  somewhat  venomous  little 
pest  swells  to  the  size  of  a  pipe-stem,  when  it  becomes 
filled  with  blood.  Their  bite  often  creates  a  painful 
sore,  especially  if  one's  circulation  happens  to  be  in  an 
unhealthy  condition.  To  protect  themselves  against 
this  abomination,  Europeans  wear  what  are  called  leech- 
gaiters,  reaching  up  to  the  knees,  made  from  stout, 
close-knit  canvas,  or  russet  leather.  The  true  water 
leech  also  abounds  in  the  marshes  and  ponds  of  the 


INSECT  PESTS.  255 

island,  and  is  quite  destructive  to  animals  which  fre- 
quent these  places.  Domestic  buffaloes  seek  the 
ponds  in  which  to  submerge  their  bodies  to  get  rid  of 
stinging  flies  and  voracious  mosquitoes,  but  they 
sometimes  lose  their  lives  by  the  combined  attack  of 
these  more  formidable  enemies,  the  water  leeches. 
After  one  of  these  bloodsuckers  is  fairly  fixed  upon 
the  body  of  man  or  beast,  it  will  not  give  up  its  hold 
until  it  has  drawn  its  fill  of  blood.  When  this  con- 
dition is  reached,  the  leech  drops  off,  and,  like  a  snake 
after  a  hearty  meal,  it  becomes  dormant  for  a  long 
time. 

There  are  plenty  of  reptiles  in  all  parts  of  Ceylon, 
but,  as  we  have  said,  they  keep  mostly  hidden  from 
human  beings.  The  gardens  and  woods  are  infested 
with  ticks,  so  called,  resembling  small  crabs,  and 
armed  with  similar  forceps  with  which  to  torment 
their  victims.  One  almost  requires  a  microscope  to 
see  these  little  black  atoms,  though  they  possess 
gigantic  ability  to  inflict  painful  and  highly  irritating 
bites.  This  insect  quickly  buries  itself  under  the 
skin,  where  it  creates  a  lasting  sore  unless  it  is  thor- 
oughly eradicated,  together  with  the  poison  that  sur- 
rounds it.  The  natives  use  cocoanut  oil  as  a  pre- 
ventive to  the  attack  of  the  ticks,  and  it  is  true  that 
they  will  drop  from  any  spot  where  they  encounter 
this  pungent  lubricator.  In  some  parts  of  Ceylon,  the 
leech  pest  is  so  prevalent  as  to  render  whole  districts 
quite  uninhabitable  by  human  beings. 


256  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

At  Kandy  as  well  as  in  the  vicinity  of  Point  de 
Galle,  frequent  attempts  have  been  made  to  establish 
sugar  plantations,  but  the  soil  or  the  climate,  or  both, 
proved  to  be  unfavorable  to  the  growth  of  the  cane. 
Natives,  here  and  elsewhere,  raise  a  few  hills  of  it 
about  their  cabins,  which  they  chew  for  its  sweetness, 
when  the  stalk  becomes  sufficiently  ripe ;  it  is  espe 
cially  the  delight  of  children,  under  this  condition. 
With  the  aid  of  proper  fertilizers  there  would  seem  to 
be  no  good  reason  why  sugar-cane  could  not  be  profit- 
ably grown  in  Ceylon. 

The  species  of  palm  familiarly  known  as  the  jag- 
gery palm  is  largely  cultivated  in  the  central  prov- 
ince of  the  island.  Its  sap  is  boiled  down  so  as  to 
produce  a  coarse  brown  sugar,  which  is  much  used  by 
all  classes  in  its  crude  state.  Why  it  is  not  refined 
for  more  delicate  purposes,  since  the  sugar-cane  is 
not  available,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  Farina  is  also 
extracted  from  the  pith  of  this  palm,  forming,  as  is 
well  known,  a  very  palatable  and  nutritious  food. 
The  indolent  natives  must  be  spurred  by  foreign  enter- 
prise into  obtaining  this  valuable  article  of  export, 
before  they  will  labor  to  procure  it.  Open-handed 
Nature,  in  her  bounteous  liberality,  spoils  these  heed- 
less children  of  the  tropics. 

Near  Kurunaigalla,  one  of  the  ancient  capitals  of 
the  island,  situated  about  sixty  miles  northeast  of 
Colombo  and  ten  or  twelve  miles  north  of  Kandy, 
there  are  some  very  interesting  ruins,  together  with 


ENORMOUS  BOULDERS.  257 

several  enormous  boulders  of  red  rock,  which  some- 
how strike  one  as  being  very  much  out  of  place. 
They  are  too  enormous  to  have  been  transported  by 
glacial  action,  by  which  method  we  account  for  the 
position  of  so  many  big  boulders  in  the  northern  por- 
tions of  our  own  continent.  One  of  these  in  the 
neighborhood  we  are  speaking  of  is  called  "  The 
Elephant's  Tusk,"  towering  six  hundred  feet  into  the 
air ;  but  why  it  is  thus  named  is  not  obvious.  There 
are  very  old  plumbago  mines  hereabouts,  and  a  group 
of  mouldering  stone  lions,  elephants,  and  a  figure 
designed  to  represent  that  fabulous  creature,  the  uni- 
corn. These  recall  somewhat  similar  groups  one  sees 
in  the  wilds  of  continental  India,  mementos  which 
are  believed  to  antedate  by  ten  or  fifteen  centuries 
the  origin  of  the  famous  "  buried  cities  "  of  Ceylon. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Fifty  Miles  into  Central  Ceylon.  —  Gorgeous  Scenic  Effects. — 
Gampola.  —  The  Singhalese  Saratoga. —A  Grand  Waterfall. — 
Haunts  of  the  Wild  Elephants.  —  Something  about  these  Huge 
Beasts.  —  European  Hunters  restricted.  —  An  Indian  Experience. 
—  Elephants  as  Farm  Laborers  in  Place  of  Oxen.  —  Tame  Ele- 
phants as  Decoys.  —  Elephant  Taming.  —  Highest  Mountain  on  the 
Island.  —  Pilgrims  who  ascend  Adam's  Peak.  —  Nuera-Ellia  as  a 
Sanitarium.  —  A  Hill  Garden. 

FROM  Kandy  to  Neura-Ellia  —  "  Royal  Plains  "  - 
(pronounced  Nuralia)  is  a  pleasant  drive  of  fifty 
miles  through  the  Ramboda  Pass,  which  is  justly 
celebrated  for  its  series  of  beautiful  waterfalls  and 
boisterous  rapids,  affording  frequent  views  of  great 
magnificence.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  in  this  respect  it 
is  the  most  remarkable  part  of  the  island.  The 
entire  route  is  about  six  thousand  feet  above  sea 
level.  At  first  the  course  of  the  Maha-velle-Ganga  is 
closely  followed,  the  river  being  crossed  at  Peradenia 
by  a  somewhat  remarkable  bridge,  consisting  of  a 
single  arch  or  span  of  a  little  over  two  hundred  feet, 
built  of  satinwood,  with  stout  brick  and  stone  abut- 
ments. The  bridge  was  erected  in  1832,  without  the 
aid  of  a  single  nail  or  bolt,  and  is  apparently  in  per- 
fect condition  to-day.  The  railway  bridge  crosses  the 
stream  below  this  point  not  far  away,  resting  upon 
three  substantial  stone  piers.  The  centre  of  the  first- 


AN  ANCIENT  CAPITAL.  259 

named  structure  is  raised  between  sixty  and  seventy 
feet  above  the  ordinary  flow  of  the  water,  which  is 
generally  of  quite  a  placid  character,  but  at  certain 
seasons  of  the  year  its  volume  and  force  are  such  as 
to  form  a  sweeping  and  dangerous  torrent.  When 
this  is  the  case,  there  are  often  borne  upon  the  flood 
large  cocoanut  and  other  trees,  which  have  stood  for 
many  years  upon  the  river's  banks,  until  thus  under- 
mined by  the  swift-flowing  waters.  The  effect  is 
then  very  singular.  The  trees,  which  have  thus  been 
suddenly  transported  from  their  birthplaces  in  a 
growing  and  often  fruit-bearing  condition,  pile  them- 
selves up  after  a  most  extraordinary  fashion,  forming 
what  is  technically  called  a  "jam." 

The  hillsides,  as  seen  from  the  satinwood  bridge, 
are  terraced  with  rice-fields,  while  in  the  distance 
stands  the  Allegalla  Peak,  an  isolated  mountain 
thirty-four  hundred  feet  in  height,  in  connection  with 
which  there  are  several  Singhalese  legends,  each  one 
more  or  less  impossible.  This  element,  however, 
only  makes  the  stories  all  the  more  palatable  to  the 
native  appetite. 

This  route  takes  one  through  Gampola,  which, 
though  it  is  insignificant  enough  at  the  present  time, 
was  the  native  capital  of  Ceylon  nearly  five  hundred 
years  ago.  The  place  is  situated  amid  a  grand  pan- 
orama of  magnificent  hills  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
already  named,  which  is  here  crossed  by  a  suspension 
bridge.  The  road  from  this  point  to  Neura-EUia 


260  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

begins  to  ascend  the  hilly  region  along  the  face  of 
steep  acclivities  and  precipitous  banks.  One  can 
nearly  reach  Neura-Ellia  by  rail,  but  the  route  we 
•  have  described  is  by  far  the  most  interesting  in  point 
of  scenic  effects. 

This  is  a  Singhalese  watering-place,  the  Saratoga 
of  the  island,  the  one  popular  health  resort  of  the 
wealthy  natives,  as  well  as  of  strangers  and  English 
officials  whose  headquarters  are  on  the  sea  coast.  It 
is  situated  a  little  over  one  hundred  miles  eastward 
from  Colombo,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly  seven  thou- 
sand feet,  while  the  surrounding  mountains  are  be- 
tween one  and  two  thousand  feet  higher.  The 
English  government  has  established  a  sanitarium 
here  for  invalid  soldiers,  and  a  small  detachment  of 
infantry  is  always  stationed  on  the  spot,  more  for 
form  than  because  of  any  real  necessity.  It  is  a 
region  where  cool,  gray  skies  and  frequent  rains 
prevail,  and  where  a  fire  is  needed  most  of  the  year, 
and  indeed  it  is  almost  a  necessity  after  sunset  at 
all  seasons.  The  thermometer  never  rises  above  70° 
Fahr.,  and  the  average  temperature  is  60°.  The 
change  from  oven-like  Colombo  in  midsummer  to 
the  air  of  this  invigorating  region  is  truly  delightful. 
When  the  author  was  at  Neura-Ellia,  early  in  Janu- 
ary (being  at  our  antipodes,  it  was  then  summer  in 
Ceylon),  the  weather  was  lovely,  his  companions 
were  cultured,  appreciative,  and  sympathizing,  and 
everything  joined  in  producing  a  store  of  delicious 


A   GRAND    WATERFALL.  261 

and  lasting  memories.  The  strong,  invigorating 
mountain  breezes  were  most  enjoyable  after  a  period 
of  oppressive  heat  endured  on  the  coast.  The 
locality  recalled  a  somewhat  similar  experience  in 
passing  from  Calcutta  to  Darjeeling,  an  English 
sanitarium  near  the  foot  of  the  Himalayan  range  of 
mountains,  overlooking  the  plains  of  Hindustan  on 
the  one  hand,  while  on  the  other  affording  a  view  of 
that  series  of  mountains  whose  loftiest  point,  Mount 
Everest,  forms  the  apex  of  our  globe,  its  cloud- 
capped,  sky-reaching  summit  being  nearly  thirty 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

There  are  several  fairly  good  hotels  at  Neura-Ellia, 
two  banking-houses,  a  church,  a  clubhouse,  and  a 
large  number  of  private  cottages  scattered  about  the 
hills  and  valley,  overlooking  a  lake  of  some  two  miles 
in  length  and  a  mile  in  width.  This  has  been  stocked 
with  trout,  and  now  affords  a  liberal  supply  of  that 
palatable  fish  to  the  residents. 

Not  far  away,  on  the  Fort  McDonald  Eiver,  there  is 
a  grand  waterfall,  with  a  plunge  of  three  hundred  per- 
pendicular feet  into  a  dark  and  narrow  chasm.  The 
river  approaches  this  point  over  a  long  succession  of 
wild,  swirling,  and  foaming  cataracts,  reminding  one 
of  the  rapids  above  Niagara  Falls,  though  far  inferior 
in  breadth  and  the  body  of  water  which  they  convey. 
The  hoarse  anthem  and  echo  accompaniment  of  the 
McDonald  Falls,  when  heard  for  the  first  time,  are 
truly  awe-inspiring. 


262  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

One  has  not  far  to  go  in  the  surrounding  mountain 
region  to  find  the  haunts  of  the  wild  elephants.  They 
are  still  to  be  met  with  in  considerable  numbers,  their 
capture  being  considered  the  great  achievement  of  the 
chase  among  hunters  of  large  game.  From  here 
Hindustan  has  drawn  its  supply  of  these  animals  for 
many  centuries.  The  elephant  rarely  breeds  in  servi- 
tude while  domesticated  for  the  use  of  man,  but  in 
its  wild  state  is  a  prolific  animal,  otherwise  Ceylon 
would  long  since  have  been  cleared  of  them.  The 
mother  elephant  carries  her  infant  twenty-two  months, 
and  after  birth  suckles  it  for  two  years.  The  female 
does  not  attain  her  maturity  until  she  is  fifteen  years 
old ;  the  male  in  his  twentieth  year.  The  mother  ele- 
phant gives  birth  to  but  one  calf  at  a  time;  twins 
have  never  been  known.  Small  herds  range  these 
hills  to  a  height  of  six  thousand  feet,  where  the  nights 
are  often  frosty  and  the  cold  quite  severe.  Though 
they  are  natives  of  tropical  regions,  this  animal  seems 
to  be  but  little  affected  by  the  cold,  always  avoiding, 
when  it  is  possible,  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun.  This 
peculiarity  is  noticeable  in  them  even  when  they 
are  exhibited  in  our  cold  northern  climate.  Unless 
aroused  by  the  hunters  and  driven  from  deep,  cool 
coverts  in  the  dense  forests,  the  elephant  remains 
hidden  during  the  daytime.  Their  roaming  for  for- 
age and  water,  like  that  of  most  wild  animals,  is  alto- 
gether nocturnal.  Their  sustenance  is  principally  the 
leafage  of  young  shoots  of  trees,  the  wild  fig  being 


WILD  ELEPHANTS.  263 

their  favorite.  The  tender  roots  of  the  bamboo  also 
form  a  large  source  of  food  supply.  Rice,  however, 
is  the  elephant's  choice  above  all  other  esculents,  and 
sometimes  a  small  herd  will  devastate  a  whole  planta- 
tion in  a  single  night.  The  planters  generally  build 
a  bamboo  fence  about  their  rice-fields  in  the  districts 
liable  to  be  visited  by  these  animals.  This  would  at 
first  thought  seem  to  be  entirely  insufficient  to  keep 
off  so  powerful  a  creature,  but  the  fact  is  that  a  wild 
elephant  in  Ceylon  is  so  wary  that  he  will  not  tres- 
pass upon  land  thus  guarded.  Some  instinct  teaches 
him  to  avoid  the  place  and  to  seek  for  food  elsewhere. 
A  simple  rope  drawn  about  a  field,  it  is  said,  will 
keep  him  at  a  distance.  He  shrewdly  suspects  a  trap, 
and  has  seen  so  many  of  his  comrades  seized  upon  and 
carried  away  into  captivity  by  means  of  corrals,  traps, 
and  ropes,  that  he  has  learned  to  associate  the  idea 
of  capture  with  such  things,  and  is  constantly  on  the 
lookout  lest  he  also  fall  a  victim  to  the  stratagems  of 
the  huntsmen.  It  is  common  to  consider  one  hun- 
dred years  as  the  average  period  of  an  elephant's  life, 
but  the  author  has  seen  an  animal  doing  service  in 
India  which  was  known  to  exceed  this  limit  by  a  score 
of  years. 

European  sportsmen,  attracted  to  Ceylon  in  search 
of  this  big  game,  sacrificed  the  elephants  in  mere 
wantonness  until  government  interfered,  and  a  heavy 
fine  is  now  imposed  upon  any  one  who  kills  an 
animal  of  this  species.  There  is  no  danger  of  the  na- 


264  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

tives  doing  anything  of  the  kind.  In  the  first  place 
they  have  not  the  inclination,  and  in  the  next  they 
are  not  permitted  to  own  firearms  of  any  sort.  Some 
rich  and  reckless  Englishmen,  nevertheless,  kill  an 
occasional  elephant  simply  for  the  sake  .of  boasting 
of  their  prowess,  and  pay  the  government  fine  accord- 
ingly. We  say  the  natives  have  no  inclination  to 
hunt  the  elephant,  but  the  wild  Veddahs  do  some- 
times kill  them.  The  animals  of  this  species  found 
in  Ceylon  are  of  a  distinctive  breed,  with  some 
marked  differences  from  those  native  to  Africa,  and 
are  noted  for  their  high  degree  of  intelligence.  They 
are  most  prized  in  India,  where  they  are  used  by  those 
who  can  afford  to  keep  them.  The  intelligence  of 
this  monarch  of  the  forest  is  shown  in  his  selection 
of  the  most  available  paths  for  passing  from  one  part 
of  the  country  to  another.  Major  Skinner,  the  fa- 
mous road-builder  of  Ceylon,  tells  us  how  invaluable 
he  found  the  tracks  of  the  elephants  as  a  guide  in 
laying  out  his  government  routes  through  the  island. 
He  says  the  most  available  crossings  of  hills,  valleys, 
and  rivers  were  already  distinctly  marked  by  elephant 
paths,  and  he  followed  them  with  entire  confidence 
that  his  engineers  could  do  no  better  for  him,  with 
all  their  experience,  aided  by  the  most  accurate  in- 
struments. 

The  Maharajah  of  Jeypoor,  India,  whose  generous 
and  regal  hospitality  the  author  has  enjoyed,  sends 
elephants  to  bring  his  invited  guests  to  visit  him,  and 


JEYPOOR,  INDIA.  265 

also  returns  them  to  their  residences  in  the  same 
manner.  The  animals  which  were  employed  on  the 
occasion  referred  to  came  originally  from  the  Kandy 
hills  in  Ceylon.  They  were  docile  creatures,  which 
knelt  at  the  word  of  command  for  us  to  mount  to  the 
frame  seats  on  their  backs.  Each  carried  six  per- 
sons besides  the  driver.  We  were  told  that  it  costs 
as  much  to  feed  one  elephant  as  to  keep  eight  horses. 
This  independent  prince  has  a  territory  about  the  size 
of  Massachusetts,  with  a  million  and  a  half  of  con- 
tented subjects.  His  capital  —  Jeypoor  —  is  the  finest 
and  most  thrifty  native  city  in  all  India,  where,  won- 
derful to  say,  there  are  no  beggars,  nor,  so  far  as  a 
transient  visitor  could  discover,  nuisances  of  any  sort 
to  complain  of.  It  was  a  dusty  season,  as  is  well  re- 
membered, but  the  streets  and  squares  of  the  capital 
were  being  carefully  sprinkled  by  native  water-car- 
riers, —  in  a  very  primitive  manner,  to  be  sure,  but 
showing  a  due  consideration  for  the  comfort  of  the 
public. 

There  is  a  vast  difference  between  a  tame  and  a 
wild  elephant ;  the  latter,  when  entirely  subdued  and 
domesticated,  is  of  comparatively  little  consequence. 
His  main  occupation  in  our  country  is  that  of  eating 
peanuts,  candies,  and  fruit  doled  out  to  him  by  vis- 
itors to  the  menageries,  and  the  performance  of  a  few 
highly  sagacious  tricks.  In  their  wild  state  they  are 
the  wariest  and  most  cunning  of  all  the  denizens  of 
the  forest.  Nor  are  they  devoid  of  courage  and  fero- 


266  THE   PEARL  OF  INDIA. 

city  when  brought  to  bay,  and  many  experienced 
hunters  have  lost  their  lives  in  Ceylon  while  pursuing 
them.  When  domesticated  in  this  island  they  are  of 
great  service  to  the  farmers,  especially  in  plowing, 
harrowing,  and  rolling  the  newly  broken  land.  A 
cultivator  which  would  anchor  half  a  dozen  yokes  of 
native  bullocks  is  walked  away  with  in  the  easiest 
manner  imaginable  by  a  single  elephant.  They  are 
particularly  sagacious  in  dam-building  across  streams, 
and  in  the  construction  of  bridges,  placing  the  heavy 
materials  just  where  they  are  required,  and  even  fit- 
ting large  logs  and  stones  in  their  proper  places.  The 
amount  of  food  which  so  large  an  animal  requires  is, 
however,  a  serious  drawback  to  their  employment. 
Besides  five  or  six  hundred  pounds  of  green  fodder, 
an  elephant  must  eat  at  least  twenty  pounds  of  some 
kind  of  grain  daily,  rice  preferred,  to  keep  him  in 
working  condition.  They  are  usually  seen,  in  their  wild 
state,  in  small  herds  of  ten  or  twelve,  the  majority  be- 
ing females,  and  generally  each  one  has  a  calf  or  baby 
elephant  by  her  side.  There  are  also  certain  males, 
known  as  "rogues,"  that  roam  the  forests  singly, 
generally  vicious  old  creatures,  discarded  by  their 
companions,  and  always  bent  upon  mischief.  These 
are  desperate  in  the  extreme,  often  courting  a  conflict 
with  the  hunters,  fiercely  charging  them  right  and 
left.  Why  they  have  been  excommunicated  from  the 
ranks  of  their  former  companions  cannot  be  known, 
but  they  are  always  avoided,  both  by  the  natives  and 


CRAZY  ELEPHANTS.  267 

by  hunters.  No  attempt  is  ever  made  to  domesticate 
a  "rogue"  elephant.  They  recognize  that  they  are 
forever  ostracized  from  the  fellowship  of  their  kind, 
and  make  no  attempt  to  join  other  elephants.  The 
theory  is  that  they  have  become  permanently  crazed. 

It  is  well-known  that  all  elephants  are  liable  to 
brief  periods  of  delirium,  during  which  they  are  very 
dangerous.  When  the  symptoms  of  such  an  occur- 
rence begin  to  evince  themselves,  their  keeper,  always 
prepared  for  such  an  event,  doubles  their  chains  and 
otherwise  securely  confines  them  until  the  paroxysm 
is  over.  The  recovery  is  hastened  by  a  brief  period 
of  starvation,  neither  food  nor  drink  being  given  the 
animal  until  he  becomes  entirely  docile. 

For  a  considerable  time,  there  was  an  understand- 
ing that  the  rogue  elephant  might  be  hunted  and 
killed,  when  such  an  one  made  his  appearance,  but 
this  liberty  was  taken  advantage  of  by  sportsmen,  and 
when  they  killed  an  animal  he  was  represented  to 
have  been  a  rogue  whether  he  was  really  so  or  not, 
and  the  authorities  were  therefore  obliged  to  enforce 
the  law  as  regarded  all  these  animals. 

The  Ceylon  elephant  is  not  of  the  ivory-producing 
species,  though  some  of  the  males  do  develop  good- 
sized  tusks  like  those  of  Africa.  The  animals  of  this 
island  have  short  "  grubbers,"  as  they  are  called,  pro- 
truding from  their  mouths  eight  or  ten  inches,  with 
which  they  uproot  certain  species  of  their  favorite 
food,  such  as  the  tender  undergrowth  of  the  juicy 


268  THE  PEARL    OF*  INDIA. 

bamboo.  Had  the  Ceylon  elephant  been  an  ivory- 
bearing  animal,  he  would  probably  have  been  more 
closely  pursued  by  the  hunters,  and  have  long  since 
disappeared  from  the  island,  which  is  so  much  more 
accessible  than  the  wilds  of  Africa,  whence  the  world's 
supply  is  now  almost  wholly  derived. 

Strange  to  say,  the  elephant  in  his  domesticated  or 
tame  state  takes  absolute  pleasure  in  acting  as  a  decoy 
to  enable  the  hunters  to  capture  wild  ones.  After 
the  pursuers  have,  with  the  tame  elephant's  help, 
driven  the  wild  animal  into  a  corral  or  stout  inclosure 
in  the  forest,  and  have  also,  still  aided  by  the  tame 
elephant,  secured  the  wild  one  by  tying  his  two  hind 
feet  securely  to  some  stout  tree,  he  is  left  for  a  day 
or  two  to  strain  and  fret  himself  until  he  has  fairly 
worn  out  his  strength,  before  he  is  again  approached. 
Almost  the  entire  process  of  breaking  in  or  training  a 
wild  elephant  is  that  of  starvation.  When  at  last  his 
spirit  is  completely  broken  and  his  strength  gone  for 
the  time  being,  he  becomes  amenable  to  discipline, 
almost  as  much  so  as  one  which  has  been  in  captivity 
for  years.  He  then  partakes  with  eagerness  of  the 
food  and  water  which  is  brought  to  him,  accepting 
the  same  as  a  sort  of  peace  offering,  and  gradually  be- 
comes attached  to  the  keeper  who  has  charge  of  him, 
and  with  whose  presence  the  creature  associates  the 
idea  of  relief  and  comfort.  From  this  time  forward, 
firmness  and  kindness  complete  the  taming  process. 
It  is  a  mystery  how  and  where  they  die  in  their  wild 


ADAM'S  PEAK.  269 

state.  No  corpses  are  ever  found,  except  of  those 
which  have  come  to  a  violent  death  by  the  bullets  of 
the  hunters.  It  is  seldom  that  the  animal  is  now 
shot.  This  is  only  done  in  extreme  cases,  as  a  live 
elephant  is  so  much  more  valuable  than  a  dead  one 
that  the  object  is  now  to  corral  them,  tie  them  up, 
and  tame  them. 

The  mountains  encircling  Piduru  Talagalla  are  cov- 
ered with  trees  to  their  very  summits,  from  a  distance 
seeming  to  be  wrapped  in  a  rich  mantle  of  deepest 
green.  This  elevation  is  the  loftiest  on  the  island, 
considerably  exceeding  Adam's  Peak,  the  legendary 
apex  of  Ceylon,  a  conclusion  arising  from  the  fact 
that  the  latter  is  to  be  seen  from  the  ocean  before 
any  other  portion  of  the  island,  and  long  before  the 
lighthouse  of  Colombo  is  made  out  from  on  ship- 
board. The  dense  forest  in  this  region  contains 
many  wild  animals  besides  elephants. 

A  high  degree  of  religious  importance  attaches  to 
the  act  of  ascending  Adam's  Peak,  which  is  situated 
fifteen  miles  south  of  Neura-Ellia.  Consequently, 
at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  the  mountain  side  is 
covered  with  pilgrims,  who  camp  there  during  the 
night,  and  perform  their  religious  devotions  on  the 
summit  during  the  day.  A  special  effort  is  made 
by  the  pilgrims  to  reach  the  top  so  as  to  see  the  sun 
rise,  and  to  meet  its  first  rays  upon  bended  knees 
in  devout  prayer,  like  the  ancient  fire-worshipers. 
Steps  are  cut  in  the  steep,  rocky  sides  of  the  preeipi- 


270  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

tons  ascent,  to  overcome  the  abruptness  of  which,  here 
and  there,  requires  the  aid  of  chains,  which  are  fas- 
tened securely  in  the  solid  rock  for  this  purpose. 
Judging  from  the  style  and  condition  of  these,  they 
have  probably  been  in  use  for  centuries.  Religious 
faith  must  be  all-absorbing  with  a  people,  to  bring 
them  such  distances  from  northern  India  to  bow 
down  to  a  supposititious  footprint  in  Ceylon. 

All  Eastern  people  are  famous  for  making  distant 
pilgrimages  to  what  are  considered  sacred  places,  and 
especially  Buddhists,  who  attach  immense  importance 
to  such  performances. 

Before  leaving  Neura-Ellia,  let  us  say  a  word  as  to 
its  fitness  for  invalids,  since  Ceylon  is  becoming  more 
and  more  of  a  resort  for  such  persons,  especially  those 
afflicted  with  weakness  of  the  lungs.  It  may  be 
fairly  questioned  if  this  locality  be  not  too  damp  for 
pulmonary  invalids.  It  is  very  often  wrapped  in 
cold,  dense  clouds  for  many  hours  together,  so  that 
the  air  is  heavy  with  a  sort  of  Scotch  mist.  Still,  the 
place  is  growing,  and  many  persons  have  great  faith 
in  its  sanitary  importance.  The  number  of  English 
cottages  is  increasing,  and  the  hotels  are  well  filled  in 
the  summer  season.  The  cost  of  living  at  this  resort 
in  the  hills  is  so  great  that  only  those  who  have  long 
purses  can  afford  it.  Eents  are  high,  and  domestic 
articles  of  consumption  cost  about  double  what  is 
usually  charged  at  Colombo,  whence  nearly  all  table 
provisions  are  brought. 


A  HILL   GARDEN.  271 

Six  miles  from  here  is  an  interesting  hill  garden, 
designed  to  supplement  that  already  described  near 
Kandy,  and  which  is  under  the  same  able  manage- 
ment. Flowers  do  not  receive  much  attention  in 
either  of  these  conservatories,  useful  and  remarkable 
trees  taking  precedence  of  all  other  forms  of  vegeta- 
tion. Here  one  sees  some  examples  of  the  goraka, 
with  its  stem  and  branches  quite  yellow  from  the 
gamboge  which  they  exude ;  tall  ferns  like  baby 
palms,  fifteen  feet  in  height ;  and  other  peculiar  trees 
clad  in  crimson  bloom  or  blossoms  of  snowy  white- 
ness, together  with  some  hardy  fruits. 

On  approaching  the  coast,  one  often  meets  with  what 
is  called  the  screw  pine,  but  which,  it  would  seem, 
should  be  called  the  screw  palm.  It  bears  sword-like 
leaves,  similar  to  the  South  American  yucca,  and  is 
decked  with  blossoms  of  wonderful  fragrance.  The 
most  peculiar  characteristic  of  the  tree,  however,  is  its 
aerial  roots,  which  are  thrown  from  the  trunk  above 
ground,  but  when  they  reach  the  soil  they  take  root 
in  it  and  serve  as  props  to  the  delicate  stem.  The 
effect  is  grotesque  and  artificial. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Port  of  Trincomalee.  —  A  Remarkable  Harbor.  —  How  to  get  there. 
—  Nelson's  Eulogium.  —  Curious  and  Beautiful  Shells.  —  Pearl 
Oysters.  —  Process  of  Pearl  Fishing.  —  What  are  Pearls  and 
•  which  are  most  valued  ?  —  Profit  to  Government.  —  A  Remark- 
able Pearl.  —  Tippo  Sahib  and  Cleopatra.  —  The  Singhalese  not 
Sailors.  —  Ancient  Ruins.  —  Hot  Springs  near  Trincomalee.  — 
"  Temple  of  a  Thousand  Columns.  "  —  Valuable  Supply  of  Ship 
Timber.  — •  Salt  Manufactures.  —  Tenacity  of  Life  in  the  Shark. 

IT  was  long  thought  that  Trincomalee,  situated  on 
the  northeast  coast  of  the  island,  should  be  the  com- 
mercial capital  of  Ceylon,  because  of  the  excellent 
harbor  facilities  which  it  possesses,  but  various  cir- 
cumstances turned  the  tide  in  favor  of  Colombo. 
Tradition  tells  us  that  Trincomalee  was  founded  by 
a  colony  of  Malabars,  many  centuries  before  Christ, 
antedating  all  authentic  records  relating  to  the  island. 
The  earliest  historic  mention  of  the  place  refers  to 
the  existence  here  of  an  ancient  and  very  sacred 
Sivaite  temple.  Other  traditions  touching  the  same 
period  refer  to  a  Tamil  kingdom  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  island,  ruled  over  by  an  Amazon  princess, 
whose  capital  was  at  Kudremale,  where  granite  ruins, 
still  plainly  discernible,  give  some  authenticity  to  the 
story.  Where  Fort  Frederick  now  stands,  at  Trin- 
comalee, was  formerly  the  site  of  one  of  India's  most 
sacred  shrines,  whither  pilgrims  flocked  annually  from 


TRINCOMALEE.  273 

afar.  The  harbor  is  remarkable  for  its  depth  of 
water,  together  with  its  ample  size  and  security 
against  all  sorts  of  weather  which  may  be  raging  out- 
side of  its  limits.  The  entrance  is  between  Fort 
Frederick  on  the  northwest  and  Foul  Point  on  the 
southeast,  and  is  over  five  miles  in  width.  As  a 
strong  current  along  the  coast  sets  constantly  to  the 
southward,  there  is  always  some  trouble  in  making 
the  port. 

Trincomalee  is  situated  about  one  hundred  and 
eighty  miles  by  land  from  Colombo.  The  best  way 
to  reach  it  from  the  capital  is  by  embarking  in  a 
coasting  steamer,  which  occupies  ten  days  in  making 
the  complete  circuit  of  the  island.  Inland  travel  for 
long  distances  is  not  enjoyable,  and  unless  one  has 
special  purposes  to  subserve,  it  is  best  avoided.  The 
short  and  principal  routes  are,  however,  comparatively 
good.  There  are  a  few  rest-houses,  as  they  are  called, 
owned  and  kept  up  by  the  government,  where  the 
traveler  can  find  a  shelter  beneath  which  to  sleep,  but 
that  is  about  all ;  bed  and  bedding  he  is  supposed  to 
carry  with  him.  It  is  the  same  in  India  proper. 
Hotels  are  to  be  found,  as  a  rule,  only  in  the  large 
cities.  One  must  depend  upon  his  own  resources  in 
traveling  over  this  island,  when  off  the  beaten  tracks, 
and  must  carry  along  his  domestic  necessities. 

Nelson,  without  due  consideration  we  think,  de- 
clared the  harbor  of  Trincomalee  to  be  "  the  finest  in 
the  world.1'  The  place  has  a  population  of  about 


274  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

fifteen  thousand,  and  is  the  most  important  English 
naval  station  in  the  East,  with  an  extensive  dock-yard 
and  marine  workshops  for  the  refitting  of  large  war- 
ships. But  as  to  the  harbor  being  the  finest  in  the 
world,  that  is  an  extraordinary  and  an  unwarranted 
expression.  One  is  inclined  to  doubt  if  Nelson  had 
visited  Sidney,  Australia,  Rio  Janeiro,  Brazil,  or 
Nagasaki  in  Japan,  when  he  pronounced  that  eulo- 
gium  upon  Trincomalee.  Hongkong,  China,  which 
name  signifies  "  good  harbor,"  is  infinitely  superior  to 
this  vaunted  port  of  Trincomalee. 

In  the  year  1672,  during  the  possession  of  the 
island  by  the  Dutch,  a  French  squadron  surprised  and 
took  possession  of  the  place,  but  the  Dutch  immedi- 
ately retook  it. 

The  beauty,  scenery,  and  general  excellence  of  this 
harbor  are  undoubtedly  worthy  of  special  mention. 
It  is  dotted  with  verdant  isles,  and  is  securely  land- 
locked, so  that  when  the  heavy  monsoons  may  be 
sweeping  furiously  along  the  coast,  all  is  as  calm  in- 
side of  Fort  Frederick  as  an  inland  lake.  Like  the 
harbor  of  Sidney,  the  entrance  is  dominated  by  two 
rocky  headlands,  but  they  are  much  farther  apart. 
The  harbor  has  such  depth  of  water  as  to  enable 
vessels  of  heavy  draught  to  lie  close  to  the  shore  and 
discharge  or  take  in  cargo  without  the  aid  of  lighters. 
This  is  a  very  unusual  advantage  in  Eastern  waters. 
When  the  English  took  the  place  from  the  Dutch, 
they  added  to  the  fortifications,  intending  that  it 


IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  PORT.  275 

should  be  the  naval  port  of  the  island  for  all  time. 
It  is  the  best  harbor  of  refuge  in  all  India  at  this 
writing.  One  cannot  but  anticipate  that  England, 
in  the  near  future,  must  enter  upon  a  great  struggle 
to  maintain  her  hold  of  India.  It  may  be  from  a 
well-organized  uprising  of  the  native  tribes,  or  it  may 
originate  from  some  outside  nationality,  seconded  by 
the  natives  themselves,  but  come  it  will,  sooner  or 
later.  Then  the  importance  of  Trincomalee  as  a 
naval  station  will  be  realized,  while  Colombo,  as  a 
fortified  depot,  will  be  shown  as  second  only  to  Malta 
and  Gibraltar.  Trincomalee,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered, is  four  hundred  miles  nearer  to  Calcutta  than 
Colombo. 

Scientists  have  found  the  harbor  and  immediate 
neighborhood  of  Trincomalee  remarkable  not  only  for 
the  reasons  already  named,  but  more  especially  for 
its  unique  shells  and  interesting  forms  of  marine  life. 
There  are  several  groups  of  animals  found  here  which 
creep  upon  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  which  are  else- 
where unknown.  All  alongshore  one  sees  a  queer 
little  fish,  three  or  four  inches  in  length  and  of  a 
dark  brown  color,  which  has  the  capacity  of  darting 
along  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  of  running  up  the 
wet  stones  with  the  utmost  ease  and  rapidity,  as  well 
as  of  creeping  across  the  damp  sand.  It  climbs  the 
smooth  face  of  the  rocks  in  search  of  flies  and  other 
insects,  adhering  to  the  surface  so  firmly  as  to  resist 
the  assault  of  the  on-coming  and  receding  waves. 


276  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

These  little  amphibious  creatures  are  so  nimble  that 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  catch  them  with  the  hands. 
The  coast  on  this  side  of  Ceylon  has  long  been  cele- 
brated for  the  beauty  and  variety  of  the  shells  which 
it  produces,  of  which  immense  quantities  have  been 
sent  to  various  parts  of  the  world.  Pearl  oysters 
are  found  here  in  large  beds,  though  they  are  ob- 
tained in  greater  abundance  farther  north  of  Trin- 
comalee,  at  a  point  ten  or  twelve  miles  off  the  coast. 
Here,  at  a  certain  spot,  beds  have  existed  for  thousands 
of  years,  and  are  annually  dredged  for,  or  we  should 
rather  say,  dived  for,  by  organized  companies.  Pearl 
oysters  are  also  found  in  large  numbers  in  the  Gulf 
of  Manaar,  between  this  island  and  the  continent  of 
India.  The  season  chosen  for  the  pearl  fishery, 
which  gives  employment  to  large  numbers  of  the 
natives,  is  naturally  when  the  sea  is  most  calm,  that 
is,  between  the  termination  of  the  northeast  and  the 
commencement  of  the  southwest  monsoons.  This 
period  occurs  in  March  and  the  early  part  of  April, 
when  a  fleet  of  pearl  fishermen  may  be  seen  anchored 
at  the  pearl  banks,  as  they  are  called,  all  under  the 
supervision  of  a  government  officer,  who  controls  the 
operations. 

The  reader  hardly  requires  to  be  told  that  these 
pearls  for  which  Ceylon  is  celebrated  are  found 
secreted  within  certain  non-edible  oysters.  The  inte- 
rior of  this  species  of  mussel  is  lined  with  a  beautiful 
transparent  material  called  mother-of-pearl,  which  is 


PEARL  DIVERS.  277 

gathered  and  sent  by  the  ton  to  Europe  for  delicate 
ornamental  purposes,  especially  for  inlaid  work. 
Sometimes  one  of  these  pearl  oysters  will  contain  two 
or  three  valuable  pearls,  then  a  score  or  more  may  be 
opened  containing  none.  The  divers  work  rapidly 
when  engaged  in  this  peculiar  business,  fifty  seconds 
being  the  average  time  during  which  one  can  remain 
under  water  without  coming  to  the  surface  for  breath. 
They  descend  by  attaching  a  heavy  stone  to  their 
feet,  the  weight  of  which  causes  them  to  reach  the 
bottom  quickly,  where  they  rapidly  gather  all  that 
can  be  got  of  the  pearl  oysters,  in  so  brief  a  period, 
into  a  wide-mouthed  net,  which  is  taken  down  with 
them.  At  the  proper  signal,  those  who  remain  in 
the  boat  draw  up  the  net,  while  the  diver,  kicking  off 
the  stone  from  his  feet,  comes  to  the  surface  with  the 
speed  of  an  arrow.  In  addition  to  the  pearl  oysters, 
all  sorts  of  curious  marine  animals,  sea-slugs,  black, 
greasy,  and  hideous  polypi,  together  with  beautiful 
variegated  shells,  come  up  in  the  diver's  net.  He 
works  too  rapidly  while  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  to 
discriminate  as  to  the  substances  which  he  gathers. 
After  a  few  brief  moments  of  quiet  rest,  inflating  his 
lungs  to  the  full  capacity,  the  diver  descends,  to  again 
repeat  his  efforts  "  fathoms  deep." 

Extravagant  stories  are  told  of  these  experienced 
pearl  divers,  representing  them  as  able  to  remain 
below  the  surface  of  the  water  for  four  or  five  min- 
utes. This  is  simply  impossible.  We  were  assured 


278  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

by  intelligent  local  authority  that  a  minute  and  a 
quarter,  that  is,  eighty-five  seconds,  is  as  long  as  tne 
best  divers  can  remain  below,  the  average  being  con- 
siderably less.  If  the  reader  will  try  the  experiment 
of  holding  his  breath  under  the  most  favorable  con- 
ditions and  while  not  otherwise  exerting  himself,  he 
will  realize  how  very  brief  is  the  time  in  which  he 
can  refrain  from  using  his  lungs.  The  greatest 
depth  at  which  the  pearl  oyster  can  be  secured  by  the 
divers  is  thirteen  fathoms.  This  is  nearly  eighty 
fee%,  at  which  point  the  pressure  of  the  water  is  so 
great  that  the  divers  not  infrequently  bleed  at  the 
ears  on  coming  to  the  surface.  It  is  curious  to 
realize  that  these  gems  which  are  so  highly  prized 
are  composed  of  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  carbonate  of 
lime. 

Pearls  found  in  the  Gulf  of  Persia  have  the  high- 
est reputation,  but  it  must  be  a  shrewd  expert  who 
can  see  any  decided  difference  between  those  which 
come  from  that  region  and  these  of  Ceylon.  Pearls 
are  most  valued  throughout  India  which  have  a  slight 
golden  blush  or  faint  rose  tint,  a  prevailing  character- 
istic of  those  found  on  this  coast.  Such  are  esteemed 
above  the  finest  white  specimens,  while  the  pure  white, 
if  it  has  the  proper  lustre,  is  the  European  favorite. 
A  true  connoisseur  in  pearls  in  this  country  rejoices 
in  the  rose-tinted  specimens  of  the  gem.  All  colors 
are  found  on  the  coast  of  this  island,  —  pink,  brown, 
and  jet  black. 


A   CLOSE  SEASON.  279 

The  men  employed  on  the  coast  of  Ceylon  are 
generally  Tamils  and  Moormen,  who  are  well  paid 
for  their  somewhat  arduous  services,  as  wages  are 
considered  in  this  region,  besides  which,  there  is  but 
a  short  period  in  the  year  during  which  they  can 
work  at  this  occupation.  Sometimes  they  enter  into 
a  cooperative  engagement,  sharing,  that  is,  in  the 
possible  profits  of  the  season,  but  as  a  rule  they 
prefer  to  receive  prompt  and  sure  wages,  and  to  run 
no  risk  as  regards  emolument.  At  this  writing, 
there  is  a  scarcity  of  pearl  oysters  at  the  old  beds, 
both  in  the  Gulf  of  Manaar  and  off  the  northeast 
coast.  The  pursuit  of  them  has  been  so  eager  and 
exhaustive  that  these  bivalves  have  been  nearly  ex- 
terminated. With  a  wise  purpose  of  restoring  their 
former  abundance,  the  English  government,  which 
always  keeps  a  business  eye  upon  the  pearl  fisheries, 
lately  declared  a  "close  season,"  and  in  the  mean 
time  the  valued  pearl-bearers  can  increase  and  mul- 
tiply undisturbed.  The  pecuniary  profit  accruing  to 
the  government  of  Ceylon  from  the  pearl  fisheries 
amounted  in  1891  to  over  a  million  rupees,  while  the 
result  of  some  seasons'  operations  has  far  exceeded 
this  sum. 

Not  long  since,  a  remarkable  pearl  was  found  on 
the  northwest  coast  of  Ceylon,  —  remarkable  for  size 
and  perfection  of  color,  —  at  a  point  where  the  pearl- 
fishing  industry  has  been  followed  for  thousands  of 
years.  It  would  be  natural  to  suppose  that  a  very 


280  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

choice  and  valuable  gem  of  this  sort  would  be  sent  to 
Paris,  Vienna,  or  London,  to  find  the  readiest  and 
best  market  for  its  disposal,  but  this  was  not  the 
case.  It  was  sent  to  Calcutta,  where  it  realized  to 
the  owner  a  fabulous  sum,  promptly  paid  by  a  native 
Indian  prince,  who  retains  and  would  not  part  with 
it  for  any  price.  A  valuable  string  of  Ceylon  pearls 
ornamented  the  neck  of  Tippo  Sahib,  when  he  fell  at 
the  storming  of  Seringapatam.  We  are  also  told 
that  the  pearl  swallowed  by  Cleopatra  so  long  ago, 
when  she  drank  to  the  health  of  Mark  Antony,  came 
from  this  island. 

The  space  over  which  the  oyster  banks  extend  on 
the  northwest  coast  of  Ceylon  is  over  twenty  miles 
square  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Gulf  of  Manaar.  If 
the  oysters  are  gathered  when  too  young  the  pearls 
are  small,  almost  valueless,  and  therefore  a  system  of 
survey  is  carried  on  by  the  English  government. 
Buoys  are  regularly  placed,  within  which,  and  no- 
where else  on  the  banks,  is  fishing  permitted  during 
the  regular  season  set  apart  for  the  purpose.  Some 
of  the  poorest  of  the  natives  eat  the  pearl  oyster,  but 
it  is  neither  palatable  nor  wholesome.  Perhaps  a 
thousand  years  hence,  people  will  be  expatiating  upon 
the  beauty  of  these  most  attractive  gems  of  the  Indian 
Ocean,  and  natives  will  be  diving  for  them. 

It  seems  to  be  rather  extraordinary  that  with  so 
available  a  sea  coast,  the  Singhalese  proper  are  in  no 
wise  a  maritime  people.  Beyond  being  good  fisher- 


COMMERCIAL   CENTRE.  281 

men  and  good  managers  of  boats  of  their  own  peculiar 
construction,  they  have  little  or  nothing  to  do  with 
the  ocean.  They  scarcely  ever  embark  as  seamen  for 
a  long  voyage,  and  have  no  ships  of  their  own.  Ac- 
cording to  the  records  of  Ceylon,  this  has  been  the 
case  from  the  earliest  period.  The  Singhalese  have 
ever  been  essentially  an  agricultural  race,  a  small 
portion  devoting  themselves  to  such  simple  handicraft 
as  life  on  the  island  demanded.  They  are  not  trad- 
ers, even  in  our  day.  Moormen,  Syrian  Jews,  and 
Parsees  monopolize  that  occupation,  and  the  few 
longshore  sailors  are  all  of  the  Tamil  race. 

The  immediate  district  of  Trincomalee  is  not  pop- 
ulous, though  the  soil  is  rich  and  the  means  of  irriga- 
tion are  abundant  for  a  large  number  of  rice  plan- 
tations. It  is  dependent  upon  other  places  for  its 
constant  supplies  of  rice,  fruits,  and  various  neces- 
saries, which  are  brought  from  along  the  coast  both 
north  and  south.  Were  it  not  for  the  presence  of 
the  military  and  the  occasional  visit  of  English  squad- 
rons, it  would  be  nearly  deserted.  Sir  Emerson  Ten- 
nent,  thirty  years  ago,  prognosticated  great  things  for 
Trincomalee,  but  it  will  be  very  long  before  it  can 
come  into  competition  with  Colombo.  The  break- 
water was  not  in  existence  at  the  latter  port  when  Sir 
Emerson  wrote.  That  important  structure,  with  other 
harbor  improvements,  has  settled  the  question  as  to 
which  shall  be  the  permanent  commercial  centre  of 
Ceylon.  *  There  are  several  hot  springs,  eight  miles 


282  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

from  the  town,  known  as  the  Wells  of  Kannya.  More 
than  ordinary  interest  attaches  to  this  supply  of  hot 
water  because  of  the  absence  of  all  signs  of  volcanic 
action  in  the  neighborhood.  These  hot  springs,  in 
addition  to  the  hygienic  properties  claimed  for  them, 
are  much  resorted  to  by  the  devout,  as  they  are  dedi- 
cated to  Kannya,  the  mother  of  Rawana.  Those  who 
have  lost  near  and  dear  friends  by  death  come  to  the 
wells  to  perform  certain  appropriate  ceremonies.  Hot 
springs  equally  remarkable  are  found  at  or  near  Bin- 
tenne,  Batticaloa,  and  also  at  Badulla.  The  water  of 
these  flowing  hot  wells  is  said  to  be  pure,  and  of  such 
temperature  as  to  be  fit  for  cooking.  The  natives  of 
Ohinemutu,  New  Zealand,  boil  their  vegetables  and 
meat  in  similar  springs,  as  the  author  can  testify  from 
personal  observation.  The  ruins  of  a  temple  dedi- 
cated to  Ganesa  show  that  this  vicinity  was  once, 
ages  ago,  the  resort  of  worshipers  of  that  god  of  wis- 
dom. This  elephant-headed  deity  would  seem  to  be 
an  especially  appropriate  one  for  worship  in  Ceylon, 
if  any  dumb  animal  is  to  typify  such  an  idea.  In 
any  instance,  it  does  not  seem  so  repulsive  as  the  ser- 
pent worship  still  in  existence  near  Jaffna.  Special 
medical  virtues  are  claimed  for  the  waters  to  which 
we  have  referred,  —  the  hot  wells.  It  is  stated  that 
fishes  actually  live  in  them  where  the  temperature  is 
115°.  Ten  miles  north  of  the  city  are  the  largest 
salt  works  of  the  island,  the  product  of  which  is  nearly 
all  exported  to  Calcutta.  Fifty  thousand  bushels 


ANCIENT  SACRED  SHRINE.  283 

have  been  produced  at  Nillavelle  alone  in  a  single 
season,  though  the  "  pans "  are  simple  clay  embank- 
ments, the  construction  of  which  involves  but  little 
labor.  The  process  of  obtaining  salt  is  to  expose 
shallow  quantities  of  sea  water  to  the  intense  rays  of 
the  sun.  Evaporation  is  rapid  in  these  tropical 
regions.  The  saline  crystals  remain,  and  are  gathered 
from  the  pans. 

It  is  recorded  that  an  extensive  range  of  temples 
dedicated  to  Siva  once  existed  here,  but  were  leveled 
to  the  ground  by  the  Portuguese,  who  employed  the 
stone  material  thus  obtained  for  the  building  of  the 
local  fortifications,  in  which  stones  crop  out  here  and 
there,  bearing  elaborate  carvings  and  other  evidences 
of  having  originally  served  some  other  special  purpose. 

The  few  official  buildings  in  Trincomalee  are 
substantial  and  serviceable  structures,  but  the  town 
is  poorly  arranged,  and  not  very  interesting  to  a 
stranger.  Even  the  bazaars  are  unattractive,  though 
these  places  in  the  East  are  always  a  study  of  local 
life.  A  few  Hindu  temples  give  an  oriental  appear- 
ance, and,  as  we  have  shown,  the  place  is  of  great 
antiquity.  It  was  once  the  site  of  a  famous  shrine, 
visited  by  hordes  of  people  from  all  parts  of  con- 
tinental India,  which  is  reverentially  mentioned  in 
early  records  of  the  island  as  the  "  Temple  of  a 
Thousand  Columns."  The  author  believes  this  to  be 
the  one  destroyed  by  the  Portuguese,  the  material 
of  which  served  them  for  building  purposes.  Unfor- 


284  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

Innately,  this  is  in  the  midst  of  a  malarial  district, 
and  is  consequently  avoided  by  Europeans,  except 
those  whose  official  connections  compel  them  to  live 
here.  Trincomalee,  however,  has  some  great  advan- 
tages as  a  commercial  port  which  cannot  be  ignored. 
The  proper  clearing  of  the  surrounding  jungles  in  the 
near  future,  and  the  introduction  of  a  system  of  mod- 
ern drainage,  will  eventually  remedy  this  evil,  at  least 
in  a  considerable  degree. 

The  neighboring  district  affords  an  unlimited  sup- 
ply of  the  valuable  teak  timber,  suitable  for  ship- 
building, together  with  ebony,  satinwood,  ironwood, 
and  other  choice  woods  available  for  cabinet  work, 
which  are  exported  in  certain  quantities,  though  not 
to  a  large  amount.  The  ironwood-tree  is  so  named 
from  its  intense  solidity  and  durability.  It  also  forms 
a  highly  ornamental  tree  when  growing,  and  is  planted 
in  large  numbers  near  the  temples.  No  one  can  fail 
to  admire  its  broad  white  flowers,  which  are  marvel- 
ously  fragrant,  and  the  rich,  polished  green  of  its 
foliage.  It  has  another  striking  beauty  common  to 
several  species  of  tropical  trees,  namely,  the  young 
leaves  and  shoots  are  so  red  as  to  clothe  the  tree  at 
times  with  a  rich  mantle  of  crimson,  almost  rivaling 
in  effect  the  magnolia-like  blossoms.  Hereabouts,  but 
particularly  to  the  northward  on  the  Jaffna  penin- 
sula, the  palmyra  palm  is  found  in  profusion,  with  its 
black  straight  stem  crowned  by  a  thick  sheaf  of  pin- 
nate leaves.  This  tree  is  said  to  live  three  hundred 


TROPICAL  FRUITS.  285 

years.  Of  all  the  varieties  of  the  palm,  the  palmyra, 
with  the  exception  of  the  date,  has  the  widest  geo- 
graphical distribution.  The  Tamils  have  a  proverb 
to  the  effect  that  "  The  palmyra  lives  for  a  lac  of 
years  after  planting,  and  lasts  for  a  lac  of  years  when 
felled." 

An  observant  person  occasionally  notices  a  hand- 
some, thrifty  tree  with  dark  and  abundant  foliage, 
which  bears  a  fruit  as  large  as  a  lemon  and  of  the  same 
color.  Though  this  fruit  resembles  an  orange  and 
looks  quite  tempting  to  the  uninitiated,  it  is  dan- 
gerous and  to  be  avoided,  for  within  its  pulp  lies  the 
seed  which  produces  the  deadly  poison  known  as 
strychnine.  The  natives  believe  it  to  be  an  antidote 
to  the  poisonous  bite  of  the  cobra,  but  doubtless  it 
would  prove  equally  fatal. 

There  is  no  deficiency  of  fruit  trees  in  this  north- 
western district.  The  jack  especially  abounds  with 
its  valuable  product,  each  one  of  which  weighs  from 
ten  to  twenty  pounds.  The  tamarind  also  thrives,  and 
yields  its  fruit  without  care  or  thought  on  the  part 
of  man.  Here  and  farther  north  the  blue  lotus  with 
lilac  petals  is  sprinkled  over  the  ponds  and  lakes  in 
vast  quantities. 

There  are  some  extremely  interesting  and  mys- 
terious ruins  not  far  inland  from  Trincomalee,  which 
show  remains  of  handsomely  carved  stone  work, 
such  as  the  capitals  of  tall  monoliths,  but  of  whose 
real  history  nothing  is  known.  Even  legend  fails 


286  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

us  here,  and  groping  conjecture  is  at  fault.  Two 
thousand  years  and  more  have  passed  away  since 
these  structures  were  reared.  Not  only  have  the  tem- 
ples, monuments,  and  palaces  once  existing  here  nearly 
crumbled  into  dust,  but  it  is  even  forgotten  who  their 
builders  were.  What  a  comment  upon  the  pride 
which  gave  them  birth.  What  lessons  history  teaches 
us  touching  this  folly.  Egyptian  kings,  ages  ago,  built 
pyramids  to  contain  their  mummified  bodies ;  in  the 
nineteenth  century  of  our  period,  these  mummies  are 
sold  to  European  museums  as  curiosities. 

The  salt  marshes  and  lagoons  in  this  vicinity  are 
famous  for  the  multitude  of  aquatic  birds  and  waders 
which  frequent  them.  Among  these  the  prevailing 
species  are  egrets,  herons,  sandlarks,  and  plovers, 
while  in.  the  jungle  great  numbers  of  the  pea-fowl  are 
to  be  met  with  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  The  Cey- 
lon pea-fowl,  of  which  we  have  before  spoken,  is  re- 
markable for  its  size  and  the  beauty  of  its  plumage. 
It  is  unmolested  by  the  natives,  but  Europeans  find 
the  flesh  palatable  and  nutritious.  All  this  country 
is  stocked  with  a  great  variety  of  small  birds,  such 
as  finches,  fly-catchers,  thrushes,  and  the  ubiquitous 
sparrow,  as  well  as  their  natural  enemies,  eagles, 
hawks,  and  falcons,  —  birds  of  prey  which  exhibit  most 
wonderful  sagacity  in  seeking  for  victims  with  which 
to  appease  their  appetites.  They  remain  securely 
hidden  until  a  small  bird  is  seen  upon  the  wing, 
when  they  dart  towards  it  with  a  rapidity  quite  im- 


DANGEROUS  SHARKS.  287 

possible  for  the  human  eye  to  follow.  In  a  moment 
after  the  rapacious  bird  is  first  seen,  it  is  again  ob- 
served sailing  leisurely  away  to  make  a  meal  upon  the 
quarry  clasped  in  its  talons. 

Though  sharks  are  known  to  be  common  all  along 
the  coast  of  the  island,  still  in  the  harbor  of  Trin- 
comalee  they  are  particularly  so,  where  the  huge  saw- 
fish also  abounds,  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  in  length, 
including  the  powerful  weapon  from  which  it  derives 
it  name.  Many  lives  have  been  sacrificed,  first  and 
last,  to  the  man-eating  sharks  in  this  beautiful  harbor 
and  along  the  neighboring  coast,  where  Europeans 
have  been  tempted  to  bathe  in  the  cool,  refreshing 
waters  of  sheltered  inlets.  Some  tragic  stories  are 
related  to  the  stranger  as  to  the  murderous  doings  of 
these  monsters  of  the  deep.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that 
the  dreaded  sharks  rarely  if  ever  attack  the  natives, 
and  so  far  as  we  could  learn  no  lives  are  sacrificed  to 
them  by  the  pearl  divers  in  the  season  of  their  opera- 
tions. The  author  has  observed  the  same  discrimina- 
tion exercised  between  the  whites  and  the  blacks  by 
this  destructive  creature  in  the  waters  of  the  West 
Indies.  Inhabitants  of  St.  Thomas,  for  instance,  dive 
for  sixpences  thrown  into  that  land-locked  harbor, 
with  entire  immunity  from  danger,  but  certainly  no 
white  man  would  dare  to  bathe  in  the  same  place. 
Knowing  that  sharks  abound  in  the  neighboring 
waters,  one  actually  hesitates  when  tempting  the 
negro  lads  to  dive  for  coins,  though  assured  that  the 
sharks  never  molest  them. 


288  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

So  also  at  Aden,  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Red 
Sea,  the  copper-colored  natives  of  the  straits  of  Bab-el- 
Mandeb  dive  with  entire  confidence  in  those  waters, 
for  silver  coin  thrown  from  the  ship's  deck ;  but  were 
the  body  of  a  European  sailor  to  strike  the  water,  it 
would  be  devoured  by  the  sharks  in  a  moment ;  at 
least,  so  we  were  assured  by  our  captain.  Like  the 
tiger  and  the  crocodile,  it  is  said  that  a  shark  which 
has  once  tasted  human  blood  neglects  henceforth  all 
other  sources  of  food  supply  in  order  to  watch  for  the 
bodies  of  men,  women,  and  children.  A  shark  has 
been  known  to  follow  a  ship  closely  five  thousand 
miles  across  the  ocean,  from  San  Francisco  to  Yoko- 
hama. The  identity  of  the  creature  was  established 
by  the  fact  that  a  part  of  a  whale-lance  protruded 
from  its  body,  showing  that  it  had  been  wounded  in 
some  former  encounter  with  seamen,  perhaps  in  their 
effort  to  rescue  a  comrade  from  its  terrible  jaws. 

It  may  be  proper  to  mention  in  this  connection 
that  the  shark  referred  to  was  finally  captured  before 
entering  the  harbor  of  Yokohama,  by  means  of  a 
stout  line  and  shark-hook  baited  with  a  large  piece 
of  salt  pork,  and  was  promptly  dispatched. 

A  special  industry  among  certain  natives  in  the 
vicinity  of  Trincomalee  is  the  collection  and  classifi- 
cation of  marine  shells,  which  they  do  with  a  certain 
degree  of  scientific  knowledge.  They  are  placed  in 
neatly  made  satin  wood  boxes,  and  either  sold  to 
visiting  strangers  or  shipped  to  European  markets. 


MAMMOTH  OYSTERS.  289 

Sometimes  the  covers  of  the  boxes  are  beautifully  in- 
laid with  small  shells.  The  profusion  and  variety  of 
these  mineral  sea  flowers  of  Ceylon  have  long  been 
known.  Conchologists  visit  the  island  solely  to  col- 
lect examples  of  their  favorite  study.  An  earnest 
and  intelligent  collector  might  add  many  treasures  of 
species  heretofore  unknown,  or  rather  undescribed, 
by  employing  a  dredge  from  a  common  boat,  just  off 
the  northeast  shore  of  the  island. 

The  edible  oysters  obtained  hereabouts  are  really 
enormous,  measuring  eight  inches  and  more  in  length, 
and  four  or  five  in  width.  Such  giant  oysters  are 
not  so  inviting  to  the  palate  as  those  found  on  our 
own  shores,  but  they  are  cooked  and  eaten  both  by 
the  natives  and  by  European  residents.  The  natives 
make  great  use  of  shrimps  or  prawns,  which  they 
mingle  with  other  ingredients  in  forming  their  favor- 
ite dishes  of  rice  and  curry. 

The  tortoises  taken  on  this  shore  are  thought  to 
yield  the  best  and  finest  shell  for  combs.  It  was 
necessary,  in  behalf  of  a  spirit  of  humanity,  to  pro- 
mulgate a  law  forbidding  the  roasting  of  tortoises 
alive,  and  taking  off  their  shells  during  the  process, 
which  was  done  in  order  to  obtain  the  shell  of  a  finer 
lustre  than  is  yielded  after  the  animal's  death.  It 
seems  that  a  people  whose  religion  forbids  the  taking 
of  life  even  in  the  case  of  the  meanest  insect  can 
draw  the  line  at  fish,  and,  calling  the  tortoise  a  fish, 
can  proceed  to  be  thus  outrageously  cruel. 


xtira 


290  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

Tortoise-shell  forms  one  of  the  most  universal  and 
attractive  items  of  native  manufacture,  and  great 
skill  is  evinced  by  the  natives  in  the  production  of 
combs  of  various  shapes,  together  with  bracelets  and 
charms,  the  latter  often  mounted  in  silver.  The 
workmen  of  Trincomalee  and  Point  de  Galle  have 
made  a  specialty  of  tortoise-shell  manufactures  since 
the  time  of  the  Romans.  Strabo,  the  Greek  geogra- 
pher and  historian,  speaks  of  this.  The  pale  yellow 
shell  is  the  rarest  and  most  expensive.  Like  the 
choicest  jewels,  specimens  of  this  sort  find  the  best 
market  in  continental  India,  but  the  home  consump- 
tion of  shell  combs  is  enormous ;  every  male  Singha- 
lese of  any  pretension  in  the  southern  part  of  Ceylon 
wears  one,  and  the  majority  wear  two  in  their  long, 
straight  hair. 

The  manner  of  dress  among  the  Singhalese,  the 
mode  of  wearing  their  hair,  and  the  assumption  of 
shell  combs  by  the  men  afford  singular  evidence  of 
the  unchanging  habits  of  an  Eastern  race.  Seven- 
teen hundred  years  ago,  Ptolemy,  speaking  of  these 
people,  designates  the  same  peculiarities  which  exist 
to-day.  "  The  men,"  he  says,  "  who  inhabit  Ceylon 
allow  their  hair  an  unlimited  growth,  and  bind  it 
on  the  crown  of  their  heads,  after  the  manner  of 
women."  It  is  also  curious  that  this  custom  should 
be  confined  to  the  Singhalese  of  the  southwest  coast 
near  Colombo.  It  is  not  a  custom  of  the  interior,  or 
of  the  northern  portion  of  the  island. 


EFFEMINATE  MEN.  291 

Almost  every  stranger,  upon  first  landing  at  the 
capital,  speaks  of  the  effeminate  appearance  of  the 
men.  With  their  delicate  features,  their  lack  of 
beards,  their  use  of  hair-combs  and  earrings,  to- 
gether with  the  wearing  of  an  article  of  dress  almost 
precisely  similar  to  a  petticoat,  it  is  often  difficult  at 
first  to  distinguish  them  from  the  other  sex. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Point  de  Galle.  —  An  Ancient  Port,  now  mostly  deserted.  —  Dan- 
gerous Harbor.  —  Environs  of  the  City  a  Tropical  Garden.  —  Para- 
dise of  Ferns  and  Orchids.  —  Neptune's  Gardens.  —  Tides  of  the 
Ocean.  —  Severe  Penalties.  —  Floating  Islands  of  Seaweed.  —  Fable, 
like  History,  repeats  itself.  —  Chewing  the  Betelnut. — An  Asi- 
atic Habit.  —  All  Nations  seek  Some  Stimulant.  — Soil  near  Galle. 

—  Cinnamon    Stones.  —  Diamonds.  —  Workers    in   Tortoise-Shell. 

—  Millions  of  Fruitful  Palms.  — Sanitary  Conditions  of  Galle. 

NEXT  to  Colombo,  Point  de  Galle,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  about  thirty-three  thousand,  is  the  most  im- 
portant town  in  the  island.  The  port  is  somewhat 
difficult  of  access,  and  requires  a  local  pilot  to  effect 
a  safe  entrance,  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  are  sev- 
eral sunken  rocks  very  near  the  narrow  channel.  It 
is  a  treacherous  harbor,  as  all  seamen  trading  upon 
this  coast  are  well  aware,  and  has,  first  and  last, 
swallowed  up  many  a  gallant  vessel.  Those  early 
navigators,  the  Phoenicians,  the  first  really  commer- 
cial people  of  whom  history  informs  us,  made  voyages 
to  and  from  this  port,  and  more  than  one  authority 
identifies  it  with  the  Tarshish  of  the  Scriptures. 
Ptolemy  speaks  of  the  Avium  Promontorium,  —  "  The 
Promontory  of  Birds,"- —which  marks  the  entrance 
to  Galle,  and  here  the  Arabians,  in  the  reign  of 
Haroun  al  Raschid,  came  to  meet  the  junks  from 
China,  and  to  interchange  merchandise  with  them. 


POINT  DE  GALLE.  293 

Sir  Emerson  Tennent,  after  describing  the  charming 
first  view  of  the  place  when  he  landed  here,  says: 
"Galle  is  by  far  the  most  venerable  emporium  of 
foreign  trade  now  existing  in  the  universe ;  it  was  the 
resort  of  merchant  ships  at  the  earliest  dawn  of  com- 
merce. In  modern  times  it  was  the  mart  of  Portugal 
and  afterwards  of  Holland ;  and  long  before  the  flags 
of  either  nation  had  appeared  in  these  waters,  it  was 
one  of  the  entrepots  whence  the  Moorish  traders  of 
Malabar  drew  the  productions  of  the  remoter  East 
with  which  they  supplied  the  Genoese  and  Venetians, 
who  distributed  them  over  the  countries  of  the  West." 
It  is  quite  different  at  Point  de  Galle  to-day.  A 
significant  state  of  dullness  reigns  supreme  in  the 
ancient  port,  while  the  town  seems  to  be  in  a  Rip  Van 
Winkle  sleep.  How  the  early  navigators  so  success- 
fully avoided  the  rocks  and  shoals  of  this  coast,  how 
they  managed  to  weather  the  confusing  tides,  hurri- 
canes, and  monsoons,  is  a  mystery,  while  so  many  of 
our  stoutest  ships,  guided  by  experienced  seamen,  and 
protected  by  all  modern  appliances,  have  been  lost  in 
the  same  tracks.  Is  it  possible  that  we  of  to-day  are 
no  better  navigators  than  those  who  sailed  the  Indian 
Ocean  three  thousand  years  ago  ?  Were  the  voyages 
of  Columbus  and  his  followers  across  the  Atlantic  in 
small,  half-decked  caravels,  miracles,  or  was  the  waste 
of  waters  so  much  less  tumultuous  four  centuries  ago  ? 
A  few  steamships  still  make  of  this  place  a  coaling 
station,  but  these  grow  less  in  number  annually, 


294  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

though  to  maintain  this  small  branch  of  business  every 
facility  is  freely  given  by  the  local  authorities.  If  it 
were  not  that  the  English  officials  devote  all  avail- 
able pecuniary  means  and  their  tireless  energy  to  the 
advancement  of  the  business  interests  of  Colombo, 
quite  to  the  neglect  of  Point  de  Galle,  the  rocks  which 
impede  the  entrance  of  the  latter  port  would  long 
since  have  been  treated  to  a  liberal  dose  of  dynamite. 
Strangers  express  great  surprise  that  these  rocks, 
which  could  so  easily  be  demolished  by  well-known 
and  inexpensive  means,  should  still  be  permitted  to 
threaten  navigation.  We  have  seen  a  record  of  thir- 
teen steamships,  up  to  January,  1893,  which  were 
wrecked  and  entirely  lost  at  various  times,  in  attempt- 
ing to  enter  the  harbor  of  Point  de  Galle.  This  is 
the  more  surprising  because  of  the  general  prompt- 
ness of  the  English  government  in  liberally  furnish- 
ing all  possible  marine  improvements  to  her  distant 
colonies. 

The  town  is  finely  situated,  crowning  a  steep,  nar- 
row, and  rocky  promontory,  on  a  bay  opening  to  the 
south.  The  name  Galle  means,  in  Singhalese,  "a 
rock."  The  place  is  facetiously  called,  on  the  coast, 
the  metropolis  of  false  stones  and  real  glass  gems. 
The  snug  harbor  is  bordered  by  tropical  vegetation  to 
the  very  water's  edge,  including  an  endless  number 
of  palms.  The  town  is  divided,  like  Colombo,  into 
European  and  native  sections  ;  the  promontory,  jutting 
southward,  is  entirely  occupied  by  the  former,  and  is 


FERNS  AND  ORCHIDS.  295 

called  the  Fort.  The  immediate  environs  of  Galle 
form  a  natural  tropical  garden,  over  which  botanists 
never  fail  to  grow  eloquent,  both  on  account  of  its 
variety  and  its  abundance  of  floral  gems.  One  strik- 
ing beauty  in  this  connection  is  the  marvelous  devel- 
opment of  the  fern  family,  which  is  here  seen  as  a 
low-growing  creeper,  and  from  that  size  to  the  pro- 
portions of  considerable  trees,  the  feathery  fronds 
varying  from  lace-like  consistency  and  size  to  that  of 
broad  and  beautiful  leaves  of  various  shades  of  green. 
As  to  orchids,  the  hothouse  climate  of  Ceylon  devel- 
ops them  in  marvelous  beauty,  both  in  the  jungle 
and  in  the  open  fields.  Nowhere  else  has  the  author 
seen  the  extensive  and  interesting  family  of  ferns  in 
such  a  state  of  thrift,  except  in  New  Zealand. 

The  climate  is  equable,  damp,  and  hot,  thus  form- 
ing a  paradise  for  ferns  and  orchids,  which  revel  in 
their  very  opposite  styles  of  beauty.  There  are  less 
than  twenty  degrees  variation  between  the  warmest 
day  and  the  coldest  night  of  the  year  at  Galle.  The 
rankness  of  the  vegetation  surrounding  the  town,  and 
also  its  undrained,  swampy  character,  render  it  in 
some  degree  objectionable  in  point  of  health  to 
Americans  and  Europeans,  though  it  is  not  nearly  so 
much  affected  in  this  respect  as  Trincomalee,  where 
chills  and  fever  always  prevail  more  or  less  among 
the  foreign  population. 

Extensive  and  many-colored  coral  reefs  lie  at  the 
foot  of  the  rocks  which  border  the  promontory  in  the 


296  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

harbor  of  Galle  on  the  south  and  west.  The  natives 
put  this  beautiful  marine  product  to  a  very  unroman- 
tic  use.  Gathering  it  by  the  ton,  they  pile  it  up  on 
the  shore,  mingled  with  wood  and  dried  seaweed,  and 
burn  it  to  powder,  thereby  producing  the  lime  with 
which  the  betelnut  is  mixed  for  chewing,  as  well  as 
employing  it  in  the  mortar  used  for  building  purposes. 
Among  these  coral  reefs  one  may  see  at  any  stage 
of  the  tide,  when  the  sea  is  calm,  a  similar  display 
to  that  which  delights  the  visitor  at  Nassau,  in  the 
Bahamas,  —  submarine  gardens,  where  various  col- 
ored animate  and  inanimate  objects  (if  we  may  thus 
signify  the  difference  between  animal  and  vegetable 
life),  such  as  curiously  shaped  fish,  shells,  and  rain- 
bow-hued  anemone,  form  beneath  the  sea  kaleido- 
scopic pictures.  Conspicuous  among  other  varieties 
one  sees  the  blue  medusa,  twelve  inches  and  more  in 
diameter.  Here  also  is  the  curious  globefish,  with 
its  balloon-like  body  and  prickly  hide.  The  clear 
waters  of  the  Indian  Ocean  show  the  bottom,  lying 
four  or  five  fathoms  below  the  surface,  in  charming 
colors  and  forms,  like  a  well-arranged  flower  garden, 
hedged  about  by  strange  water  plants.  The  floor  of 
the  sea,  so  to  speak,  is  here  studded  with  highly 
colored  coralines  and  zoophytes.  The  observer  will 
see  swimming  near  the  surface  the  queer  "flower 
parrot,"  so  called,  a  fish  having  horizontal  bands  of 
silver,  blue,  carmine,  and  green,  with  patches  here 
and  there  of  vivid  yellow.  Verily,  these  Ceylon  fishes 


CORAL   GARDENS.  297 

display  an  oriental  love  of  color.  So  strong  was  the 
light  from  above  that  the  hull  of  our  small  rowboat 
cast  its  dark  shadow  fathoms  deep  upon  the  clear, 
white,  sandy  bottom. 

These  attractive  marine  spots  where  orange-yellow 
and  emerald-green  mingle  with  ruby-red,  and  which 
are  called  coral  gardens,  we  have  never  seen  sur- 
passed, and  only  equaled  in  beauty  of  effect  at 
Nassau.  The  enchanting  marine  fauna  and  flora  of 
the  Indian  Ocean  are  indeed  marvelous  to  one  accus- 
tomed only  to  the  cold,  sandy  ocean-bed  of  northern 
latitudes.  About  three  fourths  of  all  kinds  of  sea- 
weed are  now  classed  as  animal,  like  the  sponge,  the 
coral,  and  the  sea-anemones ;  only  one  fourth  are 
vegetable.  Professor  Rene  Bache  tells  us  that  the 
most  thickly  populated  tropical  jungle  does  not  com- 
pare in  wealth  of  animal  and  vegetable  life  with  a 
coral  reef.  On  the  continental  slopes,  long  stretches 
of  bottom  are  actually  carpeted  with  brilliantly  col- 
ored creatures  closely  packed  together  amid  forests  of 
seaweeds. 

There  is  so  slight  a  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide  on  the 
coast  of  Ceylon  that  it  is  scarcely  perceptible,  never 
exceeding  four  feet  and  rarely  over  three,  but  there 
are  certain  strong  currents  to  be  encountered  on  both 
the  east  and  west  coasts,  whose  velocity  is  augmented 
by  the  prevailing  monsoon,  and  which  cause  some 
variations  in  the  tide,  besides  materially  interfering 
with  shore  navigation. 


298  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

No  delights  are  wholly  of  a  piece.  All  pleasures 
are  qualified  by  some  inevitable  conditions ;  tem- 
perate indulgence,  even,  has  its  price.  As  he  who 
enjoys  with  enthusiasm  the  delights  of  a  tropical 
garden  has  also  to  encounter  the  attacks  of  vicious 
mosquitoes,  wiry  land  leeches,  stinging  flies,  biting 
scorpions,  and  poisonous  cobras,  so  the  naturalist 
who  dives  among  these  submarine  coral  groves  to 
secure  specimens,  and  to  enjoy  the  marvelous  sights 
below  the  surface  of  the  sea,  meets  with  inevitable 
drawbacks.  The  millepora  which  float  there  burn 
him  like  nettles ;  venomous  fish  sting  his  naked  body, 
and  sea-urchins  penetrate  his  flesh  with  their  lance- 
like  spines ;  while  the  jagged  points  of  the  beautiful 
coral  wound  his  hands  like  the  aggravating  thorns  on 
roses.  These  wounds  inflicted  beneath  the  water 
sometimes  entail  serious  consequences,  creating  pain- 
ful sores  which  last  for  weeks. 

Off  this  southern  coast  of  the  island  wide-spread 
moving  fields  of  brilliantly  colored  seaweed  are  seen 
at  times,  dense  enough  to  form  quite  an  impediment 
to  the  progress  of  native  boats  which  do  not  success- 
fully avoid  them.  So  compact  are  these  collections 
of  vegetable  matter  that  they  seem  like  a  field  of 
marshy  land,  rather  than  like  a  floating  substance. 
This  weed  gives  shelter  to  many  species  of  mollusks 
and  zoophytes,  quite  similar  to  a  collection  of  sea- 
weed often  encountered  in  the  waters  of  the  West 
Indies.  Over  this  marine  verdure  hover  great  flocks 


AN  ASIATIC  HABIT.  299 

of  ocean  birds.  Now  and  then  one  alights  to  secure 
some  tidbit  of  edible  substance  detected  by  its  keen 
vision  amid  the  thick  branches  and  leaves.  This 
mass  of  rockweed,  so  called,  seems  to  come  from 
the  Indian  continent  at  the  north,  but  the  natives 
have  a  theory  that  it  is  the  cast-off  growth  of  sub- 
merged islands,  loosened  from  its  native  soil  by  the 
chafing  of  the  restless  sea  after  the  raging  of  a 
severe  storm.  So  the  Singhalese  have  their  "  Atlan- 
tis ; "  fable,  like  history,  repeats  itself.  Plato  tells 
us  of  a  vast  island  or  continent,  so  named,  which 
suddenly  sank  into  the  sea  with  a  vast  population, 
nine  thousand  years  before  his  time. 

The  natives  here,  and  at  Singapore,  Penang,  Co- 
lombo, and  along  the  Asiatic  coast  generally,  when' 
not  sleeping  or  eating,  are  incessantly  chewing  the 
betelnut,  which,  as  before  intimated,  gives  to  their 
teeth  and  lips  a  disagreeably  suggestive  color,  as  if 
they  were  covered  with  blood.  The  men,  and  some 
of  the  women  also,  carry  the  means  for  this  indul- 
gence about  them  at  all  times,  secured  in  the  folds 
of  their  one  garment  wrapped  about  the  loins.  They 
inclose  a  piece  of  the  nut  in  a  bit  of  green  leaf, 
after  adding  a  portion  of  quicklime,  and  thus  form  a 
quid  which  they  masticate  with  great  earnestness, 
expectorating  the  while  as  a  person  does  who  chews 
tobacco,  for  which  it  is  an  Eastern  substitute.  Some- 
times the  mass  is  permitted  to  rest  for  a  while  be- 
tween the  gums  and  the  cheek,  and  though  it  is 


300  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

known  to  occasionally  produce  cancer  of  the  mouth, 
the  natives  give  it  not  a  second  thought.  The  betel- 
nut  is  a  tonic,  though  very  little  if  any  of  the  nut 
is  swallowed,  nor  is  the  saliva  which  it  produces.  In 
some  cases  cardamom  and  pepper  seeds  are  added  to 
the  quid  to  give  it  pungency.  It  is  claimed  also 
that  this  combination  counteracts  malarial  influences, 
forming  a  preventive  against  fever,  which  attacks 
natives  as  well  as  strangers  in  the  lowlands.  This 
habit  becomes  inveterate  with  the  Singhalese,  just  as 
smoking  or  chewing  tobacco  does  with  those  addicted 
to  the  weed.  The  men  here  would  rather  abstain 
from  food  than  from  chewing  this  stimulating  com- 
pound. It  is  said  that  Europeans  who  have  con- 
.tracted  the  habit  afterwards  give  it  up  with  equal 
difficulty.  It  is  not  alone  the  lower  classes  who 
chew  the  betelnut.  Persons  of  good  social  standing  do 
it,  —  priests,  native  officials,  ladies  in  their  boudoirs, 
and  so  on,  just  as  some  American  women  are  ad- 
dicted to  the  secret  use  of  cigarettes,  wine,  or  liquor. 

The  practice  of  chewing  the  betelnut  is  so  ancient 
in  Ceylon,  and  along  the  coast  of  India  proper,  that 
the  Arabs  and  Persians  who  visited  these  countries 
in  the  eighth  century,  or  say  a  thousand  years  ago, 
carried  back  the  habit  to  their  country,  where  it  is 
still  more  or  less  prevalent  in  the  sea-coast  district. 

Thus  mankind,  civilized  and  barbarian,  seek  some 
stimulant  other  than  natural  food  and  drink.  In 
Europe  and  America,  where  tobacco  is  easily  ob- 


ARTIFICIAL  STIMULANTS.  301 

tained,  it  serves  the  purpose  with  the  majority.  In 
Peru,  the  Indians  universally  chew  the  leaves  of  the 
coca  for  the  stimulating  effect  it  produces.  In 
China,  opium  takes  the  place  of  tobacco  to  a  certain 
extent,  while  in  the  region  of  which  we  are  writing, 
the  betelnut  yields  a  mild  stimulant  and  sedative 
combined.  The  Ceylon  and  Malacca  men  eagerly 
substitute  tobacco  when  it  is  to  be  had,  and  some- 
times mix  it  with  the  betelnut.  No  gift  to  the  sav- 
ages of  the  Magellan  Strait  is  so  acceptable  or  so 
eagerly  sought  for  as  tobacco.  The  natives  of  Terra 
del  Fuego,  half-starved  and  almost  wholly  naked  in 
a  frigid  clime,  will  exchange  anything  they  have  for 
a  few  dried  plugs  of  this  seductive  weed.  If  you 
meet  a  North  American  Indian  in  the  wilds  of  the 
far  West,  the  first  thing  he  asks  of  you,  with  ex- 
tended hand,  is  "toback."  The  Japanese  imbibes 
the  subtle  stimulus  of  tea  in  excessive  quantities; 
the  people  of  the  equatorial  regions  get  tipsy  on  palm 
toddy ;  the  Chinese  make  a  bedeviling  liquor  from 
distilled  rice ;  the  Mexican  gets  his  intoxicating 
pulque  from  the  agave  plant ;  grapes  yield  the  fiery 
brandy  used  by  French  and  English  people ;  hops 
and  malt  stupefy  the  Germans ;  while  corn  and  rye 
whiskey  turn  men  into  brutes  in  this  country. 

Immediately  inland  from  Point  de  Galle,  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground  rests  upon  a  stratum  of  decom- 
posed coral,  and  collections  of  sea-shells  are  found 
buried  in  agglutinated  sand  in  situations  raised  far 


302  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

above  the  level  of  the  sea,  corroborating  the  supposi- 
tion that  Ceylon  has  been  gradually  rising  above  the 
ocean  for  many  ages.  The  soil  hereabouts  is  of  a 
deep  red  hue,  caused  by  the  admixture  of  iron,  and, 
being  largely  composed  of  lime  from  the  comminuted 
coral,  it  is  extremely  fertile,  producing  certain  crops 
of  great  luxuriance,  yielding  sometimes  two  and  even 
three  harvests  annually.  At  Belligam,  a  short  dis- 
tance eastward  from  Galle,  there  is  a  large  detached 
rock,  two  thirds  of  which  is  composed  of  the  gem 
known  as  cinnamon  stone.  It  is  carried  away  in 
pieces  of  considerable  size  for  the  purpose  of  extract- 
ing and  polishing  it  for  ornamental  uses.  The  author 
has  seen,  near  Fort  Wrangell,  Alaska,  a  similar 
conglomerate  of  garnets,  an  interesting  evidence  of 
the  erratic  freaks  of  nature.  The  cinnamon  stone 
is  a  crystal  of  a  rich  yellowish-brown  tint,  but  little 
prized  in  Ceylon.  As  soon  as  such  stones  are  found 
in  large  quantities  they  drop  in  market  price ;  it  is 
rarity  which  makes  their  value.  When  moonstones 
were  first  brought  to  the  notice  of  Europeans,  they 
were  nearly  as  expensive  as  opals ;  now,  they  are  sold 
by  the  pound  or  the  hundred,  for  a  few  shillings  the 
lot.  Were  all  the  diamonds  to  be  put  upon  the 
market  which  are  hoarded  by  .certain  large  Euro- 
pean dealers,  those  precious  stones  would  diminish 
one  half  in  value.  Fashion  and  scarcity  are  the 
standards  of  value. 

When  we  hear  the  topaz  mentioned,  we   recall  a 


MOORMEN.  303 

stone  of  a  pale,  golden  hue,  which  is  its  most  common 
aspect ;  but  in  Ceylon,  where  it  is  very  abundant,  it  is 
found  in  every  variety  of  color,  —  amber,  brown,  red, 
blue,  and  sometimes  having  yellow  and  blue  mingled 
in  the  same  stone,  forming  a  harlequin  gem. 

Galle  has  a  large  population  of  Moormen  among  its 
residents,  who  are  generally  dealers  in  gems,  or  en- 
gaged as  manufacturing  jewelers  and  practical  lapi- 
daries. As  workers  in  tortoise-shell  they  have  acquired 
great  facility  and  exquisite  skill.  Calamander  and 
sandal  woods,  ivory  and  ebony,  are  also  wrought  into 
delicate  forms  by  these  people,  who  are  excellent 
cabinet-makers,  and  who  with  a  few  rude  tools  turn 
out  very  admirable  work,  imitating  any  desired  model 
which  is  furnished  for  the  purpose  with  admirable 
fidelity  and  beauty. 

One  of  the  pleasant  excursions  from  Galle  is  by  a 
fine  road  leading  southeast  among  the  undulating  hills 
near  the  coast.  The  spot  is  known  as  the  Hill  of 
Wackwelle,  is  surrounded  by  cocoanut  groves,  and  is 
often  the  resort  of  picnic  parties  from  the  port.  A 
very  fair  house  of  refreshment  is  kept  here,  and  the 
view  from  the  elevation  is  extremely  fine,  embracing 
the  valley  of  the  Gindura,  which  winds  its  devious 
course  to  the  sea  near  to  Galle,  irrigating  the  low-ly- 
ing rice-fields,  by  means  of  artificial  canals,  for  many 
miles.  The  mountain  range  of  the  central  district  is 
in  full  view. 

South  of  Galle,  along  the  shore  to  Dondra  Head, 


304  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

the  southern  extreme  of  the  island,  the  coast  is  lined 
with  grand  cocoanut  palms,  whose  annual  product 
is  truly  immense.  Near  to  Belligam,  situated  on  a 
bay  of  the  same  name,  is  a  statue  dedicated  to  an  In- 
dian prince,  who  is  said  to  have  taught  the  Singhalese 
the  importance  of  cultivating  this  beautiful  and  pro- 
fitable tree.  Belligam  is  a  large  Singhalese  village, 
inhabited  mostly  by  fishermen  and  farmers,  num- 
bering perhaps  four  thousand  souls,  among  whom 
are  few  if  any  Europeans.  A  beautiful  feature  of 
the  shore  in  this  neighborhood  is  the  numerous  river- 
mouths  which  empty  into  the  sea  from  out  the 
dense  cocoanut  woods.  The  bay  is  rich  in  corals 
and  beautiful  shells.  Belligam  was  a  famous  resort 
of  devout  pilgrims  in  olden  times,  and  there  is  still 
an  ancient  Buddhist  temple  here  which  is  much 
visited  by  people  from  afar,  in  no  other  part  of 
the  world  does  the  cocoanut  palm  flourish  more 
luxuriantly  than  it  does  in  this  district.  One  intel- 
ligent writer  estimates  that  the  province  lying  be- 
tween Dondra  Head  and  Calpentyn  contains  between 
ten  and  twelve  million  fruitful  palms.  The  produc- 
tiveness of  the  cocoanut  is  most  extraordinary.  As 
long  as  the  tree  lives,  it  continues  to  bear  ;  blos- 
soms and  ripe  nuts  are  frequently  seen  on  it  at  the 
same  time.  The  natives  have  a  saying  here  that  it 
will  not  thrive  beyond  the  sound  of  the  human  voice, 
and  it  is  very  certain  that  it  is  most  fruitful  and 
flourishing  among  the  native  cabins,  where  there  is 


LEPROSY.  305 

plenty  of  domestic  refuse  to  enrich  the  ground  about 
its  roots.  The  fertilizing  principle  is  not  to  be  for- 
gotten even  in  tropical  regions. 

This  recalls  the  astute  saying  of  a  profound  philo- 
sopher, who  declared  that  Providence  always  turned 
the  course  of  large  and  navigable  rivers  to  run  by 
big  towns. 

As  regards  healthfulness,  the  region  round  about 
Point  de  Galle  can  hardly  be  commended,  and  there 
are  some  local  features  not  to  be  forgotten.  Elephan- 
tiasis prevails  among  the  natives,  and  leprosy  is  by 
no  means  unknown.  Goitre  is  not  uncommon  among 
the  native  women,  Europeans  not  being  affected  by 
it.  In  Switzerland,  where  the  people  so  frequently 
suffer  from  goitre,  it  is  attributed  to  drinking  snow 
water ;  but  some  other  cause  must  be  found  for  its 
prevalence  here.  The  most  singular  thing  in  con- 
nection with  the  strange  guttural  protuberance  which 
this  disease  develops  is  that  females  only  are  liable  to 
it ;  at  least,  this  seems  to  be  the  case  in  this  island. 
That  leprosy  is  on  the  increase  in  Ceylon  cannot  be 
denied.  There  is  a  leper  hospital  four  or  B  five  miles 
from  Colombo,  where  between  two  and  three  hundred 
poor  creatures  afflicted  with  this  disease  are  supported 
by  the  government.  Besides  this  fact,  it  is  well 
known  that  scores  of  lepers  wander  about  the  capital 
unrestrained.  This  is  a  serious  reproach  to  the 
authorities.  Published  statistics  show  that  there  are 
nearly  two  thousand  lepers  living  upon  the  island. 


306  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

One  other  matter,  in  this  connection,  requires 
prompt  attention.  Vaccination  should  be  made  com- 
pulsory. In  common  with  ignorant  people  wherever 
found,  the  Singhalese  and  Tamils  object  to  this  pro- 
cess of  protection  from  what  sometimes  proves  to  be 
in  Ceylon  a  sweeping  pestilence  before  it  runs  itself 
out.  The  records  of  the  island  show  terrible  fatality 
from  the  visits  of  smallpox  in  past  years,  which 
might  easily  have  been  prevented. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Dondra  Head.  —  "  The  City  of  the  Gods."  — A  Vast  Temple.  — A 
Statue  of  Solid  Gold.  — A  Famous  Rock-Temple.  —  Buddhist 
Monastery.  —  Caltura  and  its  Distilleries.  —  Edible  Bird's  Nests.  — 
Basket-Making-.  —  The  Kaluganga.  —  Cinnamon  Gardens.  —  "  The 
City  of  Gems."  —  A  Magnificent  Ruby.  —  The  True  Cat's-Eye.  — 
Vast  Riches  hidden  in  the  Mountains.  —  Plumbago  Mining.  —  Iron 
Ore.  —  Kaolin.  —  Gem-Cutting.  —  Native  Swindlers.  —  Demoraliz- 
ing Effect  of  Gem  Digging. 

AT  Dondra  Head,  which  is  now  only  a  small  fish- 
ing village,  the  mouldering  remains  of  a  grand  and 
ancient  temple  are  seen,  which  are  believed  to  ante- 
date those  of  Anuradhapura,  though  probably  built 
by  the  same  race  of  people.  It  is  well  known  that 
this  locality  was  the  annual  resort  of  multitudes  of 
devotees,  from  the  remotest  ages.  Indeed,  such  was 
its  sanctity  that  two  thousand  years  ago  it  was  called 
Devi-nuwara,  —  "  The  City  of  the  Gods."  Ptolemy 
describes  the  place  as  being  the  most  renowned  point 
of  interest,  for  pilgrims,  on  the  island.  There 
was  a  temple  here,  built  by  the  Hindus  in  honor  of 
Vishnu,  so  gigantic  that  its  dimensions  sound  to  us 
almost  fabulous.  Some  of  the  finely  carved  columns 
which  were  once  part  of  the  structure  are  still  ex- 
tant, though  partially  covered  with  jungle  grass  and 
tangled  vines.  "  So  vast  was  this  temple,"  says  an 
ancient  historian,  "  that  from  the  sea  it  had  the 


308  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

appearance  of  a  large  city."  Tradition  says  that  this 
shrine  contained  a  thousand  idols  of  stone  and 
bronze,  and  that  there  were  a  thousand  Brahman 
priests  attached  to  it  besides  five  hundred  dancing- 
girls.  We  need  not  be  surprised  at  this,  since  these 
trained  performers  still  form  part  of  the  equipment 
of  all  temples  in  southern  India,  doubtless  consti- 
tuting priestly  harems. 

These  items  are  recorded  by  a  Moorish  traveler, 
John  Battuta,  who  visited  the  spot  six  hundred  years 
ago.  The  same  authority  further  tells  us  that  one  of 
the  most  sacred  idols  was  life-size,  that  is,  as  large 
as  an  average  man  of  his  period,  and  was  made  of 
pure  and  solid  gold.  "The  eyes  consisted  of  two 
rubies,  of  such  lustre  that  they  shone  like  lanterns." 
The  Portuguese  first  looted  the  temple,  putting  its 
devotees  to  the  sword,  and  then  entirely  demolished 
the  edifice,  leaving  it  a  shapeless  mass  of  ruins. 
Over  two  hundred  granite  monoliths,  with  many 
finely  sculptured  stones,  still  remain  to  testify  to  the 
original  character  of  this  marvelous  building. 

About  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  from  Dondra,  there 
is  an  ancient  and  famous  rock-temple  after  the  style 
of  that  at  Dambula,  already  described.  It  is  called 
the  temple  of  Mulgirigalla,  the  place  being  still  a 
sacred  shrine  kept  up  for  the  benefit  of  the  faithful. 
The  rock  of  which  it  is  a  portion  rises  over  three 
hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  surrounding 
plain,  the  summit  crowned  by  a  large  dagoba  contain- 


ANCIENT  MONASTERY.  309 

ing  relics  of  some  Buddhist  saint.  On  the  face  of 
the  crag  below,  there  is  a  series  of  buildings  still 
occupied  by  the  priesthood.  The  temple  consists  of 
several  chambers  or  artificial  caves,  decorated,  after 
the  usual  manner  of  these  shrines,  with  crude  paint- 
ings and  stone  statues.  After  twenty  centuries  of 
consecutive  occupancy,  the  place  is  still  devoted  to 
its  original  purpose.  A  Buddhist  monastery  exists 
upon  the  crag,  conducted  by  white-haired  priests  like 
those  of  Kandy.  Close  at  hand  are  the  tombs  con- 
taining the  ashes  of  the  cremated  high  priests  who 
have  lived  and  died  upon  the  spot,  during  so  many 
ages,  in  the  service  of  the  temple.  Had  the  old  crag 
a  ready  tongue,  what  curious  stories  it  might  reveal 
of  its  past  history,  depicting  strange  events  which  no 
pen  has  ever  recorded. 

At  Caltura,  situated  on  the  coast  between  Galle 
and  Colombo,  about  thirty  miles  from  the  latter,  in 
the  midst  of  a  district  crowded  with  cocoanut-trees, 
the  distillation  of  arrack  is  carried  on  quite  exten- 
sively. Caltura  is,  and  has  long  been  considered  as, 
a  sanitarium  in  the  south  part  of  the  island.  It  is 
swept  at  all  times  by  sea  breezes  from  the  southwest, 
and  is  surrounded  by  delightful  scenery.  The  tem- 
perature averages  from  ten  to  fifteen  degrees  cooler 
than  Colombo.  This  point  was  considered  of  such 
special  importance  by  the  Dutch  that  they  erected 
elaborate  fortifications  here,  the  ruins  of  which  still 
form  a  prominent  feature  of  the  place.  There  are 


310  THE  PEARL  OF  INDIA. 

several  caves  hereabouts  where  a  species  of  the  swal- 
low—  known  as  the  "swift"  —constructs  the  edible 
nests  so  much  valued  as  a  table  luxury  in  China. 
Neither  the  native  Singhalese  nor  the  other  inhab- 
itants of  the  island  make  use  of  these  nests  as  food ; 
in  fact,  they  require  to  be  manipulated  by  expert 
cooks,  in  order  to  bring  out  their  peculiar  properties. 
"We  are  told  that  centuries  ago  the  people  of  this 
nationality  came  to  Caltura  to  obtain  these  nests,  so 
much  valued  as  a  table  luxury  by  the  Mongolians, 
carefully  transporting  them  to  Pekin  and  Hongkong, 
where  great  prices  were,  and  still  are,  realized  for 
them.  The  edible  nests  are  held  to  be  the  choicest 
dish  to  place  before  the  emperor.  The  best  and  most 
glutinous  product  of  this  species  of  bird  comes  from 
Java,  Borneo,  and  Sumatra,  and  the  shores  of  Malacca 
Straits,  generally.  Caltura  is  also  famous  for  the 
manufacture  of  fancy  baskets  of  various  shapes,  made 
from  palm  leaf,  rice  straw,  and  lemon  grass.  They 
are  put  up  in  nests  of  a  dozen  in  a  package,  one 
within  another.  These  baskets  find  many  purchasers 
among  those  who  come  to  the  island,  who  are  glad  to 
carry  away  a  souvenir  of  their  visit.  Here  the  trav- 
eler will  see  that  rare  and  favorite  fruit,  the  man- 
gosteen,  flourishing,  and,  so  far  as  we  could  learn,  it 
is  one  of  the  few  districts  in  Ceylon  where  it  is  to  be 
found. 

On  returning  from   Adam's    Peak,   visitors  often 
descend  the  Kaluganga  in  boats  to  Caltura.        The 


ALLIGATOR  EGGS.  811 

distance  from  the  coast  to  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain is  about  sixty-five  miles.  The  country  through 
which  the  river  passes  is  by  no  means  thickly  popu- 
lated, but  intersects  some  native  villages  and  towns, 
such  as  Hanwella  and  Avissawella,  together  with  num- 
berless rice  plantations  and  thrifty  cocoanut  groves. 

This  river,  like  nearly  all  in  Ceylon,  is  more  or  less 
infested  by  alligators.  Like  the  tortoise  and  the 
turtle,  they  deposit  eggs  in  the  sandy  banks  of  the 
stream,  where  they  can  mature  by  the  heat  of  the  sun. 
A  certain  species  of  the  monkey  tribe  is  very  partial 
to  new-laid  alligator  eggs,  and  is  on  the  watch  much 
of  the  time  to  discover  the  mother  when  she  deposits 
them.  After  she  has  ingeniously  covered  them  and 
returned  to  her  native  element,  the  monkey  feasts 
royally  upon  the  eggs,  and  he  knows  where  to  come 
again  on  the  following  day  for  a  renewal  of  the  feast. 
As  the  alligators  are  not  often  disturbed  by  man  on 
this  island,  were  Nature  not  to  place  some  check  upon 
their  breeding  habits,  they  would  soon  overrun  it. 
The  Ceylon  leopard,  as  it  is  called,  feeds  upon  the  mon- 
key, so  that  his  tribe  may  not  become  too  numerous. 

The  natives,  who  are  believers  in  the  doctrine  of 
metempsychosis,  often  express  the  wish  that  their 
post-mortem  fate  may  be  to  reappear  in  the  shape  of 
monkeys,  because,  in  this  land  of  perpetual  summer, 
the  wild,  free  wood-life  of  that  creature  seems  to  them 
so  delightful.  The  tribe  is  a  large  one,  and  exhibits 
a  great  variety  in  Ceylon,  from  tiny  objects  like  dolls 


312  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

to  gigantic  fellows  which  would  give  Du  Chaillu's 
gorillas  odds,  and  beat  them  out  of  sight.  Bishop 
Heber  speaks  of  a  Ceylon  monkey  that  attacked  a 
huntsman  friend  of  his,  and  broke  his  gun-barrel! 
One  of  the  ridiculous  fables  connected  with  the 
island's  history  is  to  the  effect  that  in  ancient  days, 
"when  time  was  young,"  Ceylon  was  invaded  and 
conquered  by  an  army  of  monkeys.  The  mendacity 
of  these  old  legend-makers  is  equaled  only  by  their 
fertility  of  imagination.  The  more  the  credulity  of 
the  natives  is  taxed,  the  better  they  like  the  fabrica- 
tion, and  we  have  no  doubt  that  there  are  many  com- 
paratively intelligent  islanders  who  absolutely  believe 
this  story  of  a  conquering  army  of  chimpanzees. 
The  Kaluganga  is  altogether  a  beautiful  waterway, 
but  little  inferior  to  the  Rhine  in  breadth  and  volume. 
It  is  improved  for  transporting  rice,  areca  nuts, 
choice  cabinet  woods,  and  other  inland  products  to 
the  coast.  Lake  Bolgodde,  near  Caltura,  is  the 
resort  of  innumerable  waterfowl,  and,  being  so  near 
the  ocean,  both  salt  and  fresh  water  birds  are  repre- 
sented. Hither  come  European  sportsmen  to  obtain 
good  shooting.  There  are  some  sugar  plantations  in 
the  neighborhood,  but,  as  we  have  remarked,  the  cane 
does  not  flourish  in  any  part  of  the  island.  Continu- 
ing along  the  coast  northward,  we  come  to  Morottii, 
about  fifteen  miles  south  of  Colombo.  There  the  Cin- 
namon Gardens  commence,  and  extend  nearly  to  the 
capital,  forming  a  wilderness  of  green.  The  surround- 


A   SPLENDID   GEM.  313 

ing  atmosphere  is  very  sweet  and  fragrant  with  the 
soft  breath  of  buds  and  flowers,  not  belonging,  how- 
ever, to  the  cinnamon-trees.  This  favorite  spice  was 
the  great  specialty  of  Ceylon's  products  in  the  days 
of  the  Portuguese  and  the  Dutch,  as  well  as  before 
and  since  their  occupancy. 

Ratnapura  —  the  "  City  of  Gems  "  —  is  situated 
about  fifty  miles  southeast  of  Colombo  and  twelve  or 
fifteen  miles  from  Adam's  Peak,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Kaluganga,  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  sea  level. 
There  is  an  official  residence  here,  a  small  Episcopal 
chapel,  a  Roman  Catholic  chapel,  a  jail,  and  a  hos- 
pital. A  rocky  hillock  is  surmounted  by  a  small 
fort,  within  whose  walls  is  a  meteorological  observa- 
tory. An  ancient  mosque  also  testifies  to  the  fact 
that  Islamism  is  no  new  profession  here.  Lofty  hills 
tower  all  about,  radiating  from  Adam's  Peak.  A 
couple  of  miles  west  of  Ratnapura  is  one  of  the 
richest  Buddhist  temples  in  Ceylon ;  by  rich,  we 
mean  most  liberally  endowed.  It  has  no  architec- 
tural interest  or  beauty,  but  is  quite  like  a  score  of 
others  met  elsewhere  inland. 

About  four  or  five  years  since,  as  the  story  is  told, 
a  ruby  weighing  twenty-six  carats  was  found  at  Rat- 
napura, which  was  valued  in  its  uncut  condition,  by 
the  London  jewelers  to  whom  it  was  sent,  at  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars,  and  it  is  said  that  after  it  was 
cut  it  lost  but  little  of  its  weight,  while  it  gained  im- 
me.nsely  in  brilliancy.  This  gem  was  sold  to  a  royal 


314  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

party  for  forty  thousand  dollars.  Nearly  all  the 
high-cost  jewels  known  to  collectors  of  precious 
stones,  save  the  diamond,  emerald,  and  turquoise, 
come  from  the  soil  of  this  island.  The  true  cat's- 
eye  is  a  greenish,  translucent  quartz,  which  presents, 
when  cut  and  polished,  an  internal  reflection ;  hence 
the  appropriate  name  which  it  bears.  This  gem  is 
said  to  be  found  only  in  Ceylon,  though  of  this  we 
are  not  certain.  One  sees  splendid  native  specimens 
here  at  Colombo,  valued  at  three  and  four  thousand 
dollars  each.  As  we  have  intimated,  the  finest  gems 
produced  by  Ceylon  do  not  leave  India.  The  Rajah 
of  Jeypoor  is  said  to  have  a  cat's-eye  of  fabulous 
size  and  beauty,  valued  at  a  king's  ransom,  besides 
great  wealth  in  other  precious  stones.  Though  this 
ruler  is  a  cultured  man,  like  most  of  his  nationality 
he  is  inclined  to  be  superstitious,  and  ascribes  special 
protective  virtues  to  his  gems.  It  is  somewhat  re- 
markable that  diamonds  are  not  indigenous  here, 
since  the  famous  Golconda  mines  are  so  near  at  hand 
in  southern  India. 

Occasional  alexandrites,  so  called  in  honor  of  the 
Russian  Czar,  are  found  in  the  island.  Their  color 
by  daylight  is  a  dark  green,  bronze-like  hue,  but  by 
artificial  light  the  stone  is  a  deep  crimson,  and  is 
highly  prized  for  its  distinctive  properties. 

Nearly  every  year,  some  fresh  locality  on  the  plains 
or  in  the  valleys  is  worked  with  profitable  results  by 
the  gem  seekers,  but  the  rocky  regions  of  the  moun- 


MINERAL    WEALTH.  315 

tains,  whence  these  precious  stones  have  been  washed 
in  the  process  of  disintegration  which  has  been  going 
on  for  ages,  have  never  been  prospected.  The  vast 
richness  which  is  hidden  in  those  primitive  rocks  will 
one  day,  perhaps,  be  brought  to  light,  rivaling  the 
dazzling  stories  of  the  Arabian  Nights,  or  the  fasci- 
nating extravagances  of  Jules  Verne. 

The  choicest  uncut  stones  which  are  still  to  be  seen 
in  the  walls  of  the  Taj  Mahal  —  that  poem  in  marble 
at  Agra,  India,  the  tomb  of  the  wife  of  Emperor 
Shah  Jehan  —  are  said  to  have  come  originally  from 
Ratnapura.  '  They  were  only  crudely  dressed  by  native 
skill  for  this  purpose,  but  the  intrinsic  value  is  there 
all  the  same. 

Besides  precious  stones,  Ceylon  produces  gold, 
quicksilver,  plumbago  of  the  finest  quality,  and  mag- 
netic iron  ore.  Plumbago  has  at  various  times 
formed  quite  an  item  in  the  exports  of  the  island. 
The  supply  of  this  article  in  the  neighborhood  of  Rat- 
napura is  practically  inexhaustible.  It  is  found  in 
large,  detached  masses  of  fine  quality,  five  or  six  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  There  is  always  a 
sure  market  for  plumbago,  and  it  seems  singular  that 
a  more  organized  effort  is  not  made  to  obtain  it  for 
export.  The  Colonial  Blue  Book  shows  that  in  1840 
there  were  only  about  one  thousand  hundredweight 
packages  of  plumbago  or  graphite  exported  from 
Ceylon.  Each  year  since  has  seen  a  large  increase  of 
these  figures,  until  in  1891  there  were  over  four  hun- 


316  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

dred  thousand  hundredweight  packages  sent  from  the 
island,  or  say  two  hundred  thousand  tons.  This 
aggregate,  we  are  told,  will  soon  be  largely  increased 
by  adopting  American  and  European  machinery  in 
mining  the  crude  article.  Some  of  these  mines  have 
reached  a  depth  of  six  and  seven  hundred  feet. 
Plumbago  mining  may  not  present  the  charm  which 
attaches  to  the  digging  for  rubies  and  sapphires,  but 
in  the  long  run  the  cash  results  are  far  more  satisfac- 
tory. Even  iron  would  pay  better  than  gems,  and  it 
exists  here  in  inexhaustible  quantities,  particularly  in 
the  western  and  central  provinces,  cropping  out  at 
the  surface  in  great  purity.  The  natives  have  for 
centuries  been  in  the  habit  of  smelting  this  ore,  and 
of  making  it  into  such  tools  as  they  required.  They 
are  excellent  imitators  in  metal  as  well  as  in  wood. 
In  the  Colombo  Museum  there  is  a  sample  of  the  gun- 
barrels  (really  effective  arms)  which  the  natives  were 
accustomed  to  make,  with  such  primitive  tools  as  they 
possessed,  out  of  this  home-smelted  magnetic  ore. 
The  iron  implements,  which  are  successfully  wrought 
into  various  forms  by  the  rude  process  of  the  natives, 
are  equal  in  temper  to  the  very  best  Swedish  work, 
showing  that  the  raw  metal  must  be  of  a  superior 
sort. 

Long  ago,  the  Chinese  exported  from  this  island 
large  quantities  of  kaolin  (terra  alba),  for  the  manu- 
facture of  fine  pottery,  and  it  is  an  article  which  is 
still  abundant  and  easily  procured  here. 


SEEKING  FOR  GEMS.  317 

A  considerable  number  of  Tamils  and  Moormen 
are  employed  by  dealers  in  Colombo  to  examine  the 
river-beds  in  mountain  districts  in  search  of  precious 
stones,  and  there  are  also  certain  individuals  ready  to 
act  as  guides  to  those  strangers  disposed  to  try  their 
luck  in  searching  for  sparkling  stones.  Many  casual 
visitors  to  the  island  do  this,  and  they  are  sometimes 
reasonably  rewarded,  but  "  big  finds "  do  not  often 
come  to  such  parties.  There  is  another  famous  place 
besides  Ratnapura  which  produces  gems.  It  is  the 
flat  country  contiguous  to  Ballomgodde,  fifteen  miles 
southeast  of  the  City  of  Gems.  Nearly  all  the  valleys 
of  this,  region  have  been  receptacles  at  one  time  or 
another  of  the  gem-impregnated  soil  of  the  mountains, 
washed  down  by  flooding  rains  and  former  rivers, 
whose  courses  have  since  been  diverted  to  further  the 
extended  system  of  irrigation. 

The  valuable  stones  come  into  the  dealers'  hands  in 
the  rough  state,  and  to  an  inexperienced  eye  appear 
to  be  of  little  value.  They  receive  what  may  be 
called  a  preliminary  cutting  by  natives  who  have 
acquired  some  degree  of  skill  at  this  business,  but 
they  are  not  really  marketable  until  they  are  recut 
by  Europeans  in  London,  Vienna,  or  Hamburg,  in 
an  artistic  and  scientific  manner.  Probably  far  the 
largest  number  of  precious  stones  which  are  sold  in 
Paris,  or  London,  or  in  America,  excepting  those  we 
have  already  named,  come  from  this  Indian  island,  but 
the  reader  may  rely  upon  it  that  they  can  as  a  rule 


318  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

be  much  more  advantageously  purchased  elsewhere 
than  in  Colombo.  Let  no  person,  unless  he  be  an 
expert,  trust  to  his  own  judgment  in  purchases  on 
the  spot.  The  Moormen,  in  whose  hands  the  trade 
almost  entirely  rests,  are  a  set  of  confirmed  knaves 
and  adroit  swindlers,  whose  cunning  and  dishonesty 
have  become  proverbial.  If  they  cannot  cheat  a  pur- 
chaser in  any  other  way,  they  will  slyly  substitute  a 
piece  of  worthless  glass  for  a  true  stone  at  the  last 
moment,  after  the  bargain  has  been  made,  and  then 
disappear. 

We  heard  some  exasperating  stories  of  these  trans- 
actions, which  should  put  visitors  on  their-  guard. 
Almost  every  one  who  visits  Ceylon,  whether  he  lands 
in  the  north  or  the  south,  is  a  witness  of,  or  a  victim 
to,  similar  transactions. 

For  instance,  you  have  been  shown  a  really  fine 
sapphire  by  a  Moorman,  for  which  a  sum  is  de- 
manded which  seems  exorbitant.  You  would  like  to 
possess  the  stone,  and,  after  careful  examination,  offer 
forty  pounds  for  what  was  priced  to  you  at  sixty.  It 
was  a  fair  offer  on  your  part,  and  probably  was  very 
near  its  intrinsic  value  in  the  market.  The  Moor- 
man declares  that  he  will  not  take  one  penny  less 
than  his  original  price,  and  begs  you  to  show  it  to 
your  friends,  and  not  to  lose  a  good  bargain.  He 
brings  the  beautiful  gem  to  you  several  times  for 
further  examination,  at  the  same  time  watching  your 
movements  carefully.  Finally,  the  moment  comes  for 


A    CUNNING  KNAVE.  319 

you  to  embark  on  the  outgoing  steamer.  He  is 
watchful  and  intercepts  you,  once  more  offering  the 
sapphire,  while  declaring  that  he  is  poor  and  cannot 
afford  to  keep  it,  but  must  let  you  have  it  for  the 
forty  pounds  you  offered;  actual  necessity  compels 
him  to  sacrifice  it  at  that  price,  etc.,  etc.  You  has- 
tily pay  over  the  money,  and  receive  the  gem,  as  you 
suppose,  just  as  the  boat  pushes  off  from  the  shore, 
headed  for  the  ship.  The  anchor  is  already  being 
hoisted,  and  in  a  few  moments  you  are  under  way. 
Curiosity  causes  you  to  take  one  more  look  at  the 
coveted  treasure  before  putting  it  safely  away.  You 
seek  the  cabin  in  order  to  get  the  effect  of  a  strong 
artificial  light  upon  the  gem.  Somehow  it  does  not 
look  quite  so  brilliant  and  rich  in  color  as  you  ex- 
pected. It  must  be  the  dampness  of  the  ship  which 
clouds  the  sapphire.  You  look  more  closely.  Is  it 
possible  ?  Yes,  you  hold  in  your  hand  a  piece  of 
worthless  glass,  of  the  size  and  shape  of  the  real  gem 
which  had  won  your  admiration  from  the  first. 
You  do  not  know  the  name  of  the  rascal  who  has  so 
cunningly  cheated  you,  and  could  prove  nothing  if  it 
were  possible  to  return  to  Colombo.  It  is  of  no  use 
to  sacrifice  time  and  money  in  an  attempt  at  recovery 
of  your  forty  pounds.  You  have  to  swallow  your  in- 
dignation and  pocket  the  loss.  The  author  has  thus 
given  an  extreme  case,  but  it  is  a  typical  and  a  true 
one,  the  actual  experience  of  a  person  who  related  the 
circumstances  to  him. 


320  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

"  These  villainous  Moormen  all  look  alike,"  said 
the  victim,  "  and  I  very  much  doubt  if  I  could  iden- 
tify the  fellow  if  he  were  now  standing  before  me." 

It  is  the  same  here  in  mining  for  precious  stones 
as  with  gold-mining  in  Australia  and  other  countries. 
The  majority  of  persons  who  engage  in  the  exciting 
occupation  of  gem  hunting  are  irresponsible,  and  of 
ill-regulated  habits. 

An  intelligent  resident  of  Ratiiapura  told  the  au- 
thor that  the  presence  of  these  gems  in  the  earth  of 
Ceylon,  so  far  from  being  of  any  real  advantage  to 
the  inhabitants  or  to  the  true  prosperity  of  the  island, 
is  a  source  of  a  vast  amount  of  evil.  "  After  a 
Singhalese  has  once  embarked  in  gem  digging,"  he 
said,  "he  is  good  for  nothing  else  ;  henceforth  he  be- 
comes a  genuine  loafer,  ignoring  all  legitimate  occu- 
pation, while  contracting  most  undesirable  habits  and 
associations.  He  is  generally  employed  at  miserable 
wages  by  the  Moormen  in  Colombo,  though  he  is 
paid  a  premium  when  he  finds  and  turns  over  a 
really  good  stone.  But  the  constant  aim  of  these 
contracting  parties  is  simply  to  defraud  and  cheat 
each  other  to  the  greatest  possible  extent."  The  na- 
tive who  is  thus  engaged  steals  more  stones  than  he 
accounts  for,  and  coolly  pockets  his  wages. 

Diamond  mining  in  Africa  is  not  more  demoraliz- 
ing than  gem  digging  in  Ceylon.  Men  who  have 
nothing  to  lose  but  everything  to  gain  are  the  class 
engaged  in  such  enterprises.  Regular  and  legitimate 


PEARL  FISHING.  321 

occupations  are  neglected  by  those  who  become  thus 
absorbed.  It  is  a  sort  of  gambling,  only  in  another 
and  perhaps  more  fascinating  form.  Doubtless  all 
the  precious  stones  secured  in  Ceylon  annually  would 
not  exceed  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  at  their  true 
market  value.  Were  this  sum  to  be  equally  divided 
among  the  thousands  of  natives  who  thus  occupy 
their  time,  it  will  be  seen  that  a  less  exacting  and 
laborious  occupation,  industriously  pursued,  would  give 
surer  and  more  satisfactory  returns.  There  is  always 
the  delusive  charm  of  uncertainty  —  of  possibility  — 
in  gem  seeking,  fascinating  to  the  average  mind. 
Emerson  tells  us  that  "no  gold-mining  country  is 
traversed  by  good  roads,  nor  are  there  good  schools 
on  the  shore  where  pearls  are  found !  "  As  if  in 
verification  of  this  assertion,  nothing  can  exceed  the 
desolation  of  the  shore  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
pearl-fishing  banks  near  Aripo,  on  the  west  coast  of 
Ceylon.  During  the  brief  period  devoted  to  the  fish- 
ery, temporary  huts  and  tents  are  occupied  by  people 
immediately  interested ;  but,  the  short  season  over, 
the  place  relapses  into  a  state  of  desolation.  Like  all 
lotteries,  there  are  more  blanks  than  prizes  connected 
with  the  pearl  fisheries,  and  for  one  person  who  is 
made  joyful  by  the  profits  which  are  realized,  one 
hundred  and  more  go  away  in  utter  disappointment. 

A  story  is  told  of  an  occurrence  at  Aripo  which 
happened  not  long  since,  and  which  had  a  fatal  ter- 
mination. A  certain  foreigner  had  come  from  a  long 


322  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

distance,  and  at  great  cost,  to  venture  his  all  in  a 
season's  effort  to  secure  rich  and  rare  pearls.  His 
inexperience  was  great,  and  his  misfortunes  were  in 
proportion.  The  season  closed,  leaving  him  impov- 
erished. His  disappointment  was  too  great  for  endur- 
ance, and  the  poor  fellow  in  his  despair  sought  a 
suicide's  grave  in  the  depths  of  the  sea. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Circumnavigating  the   Island.  —  Batticaloa,  Capital  of  the  Eastern 
Province.  —  Rice  Culture.  —  Fish  Shooting. —  Point  Pedro. —  Jaffna. 

—  Northern  Province.  —  Oriental   Bazaars.  —  Milk  ignored.  — The 
Clear  Sea  and  White,  Sandy  Bottom.  —  American  Missionaries.  —  A 
Medical  Bureau.  —  Self -Respect  a  Lost  Virtue.  —  Snake  Temples. — 
Ramisseram.  —  Adam's  Bridge.  —  A  Huge  Hindu  Temple.  —  Island 
of  Manaar.  —  Aripo.  —  The  Port   of    Negombo.  —  Tamil   Coolies. 

—  Homeward  Bound.  —  A  Farewell  View. 

No  one  on  visiting  Ceylon,  who  can  possibly  spare 
the  necessary  time,  should  fail  to  circumnavigate  the 
island.  Since  1889,  a  number  of  lighthouses  have 
been  erected  from  Colombo  round  the  entire  southern 
coast,  adding  a  degree  of  security  to  navigation  which 
was  much  needed.  These  beacon  stars  are  so  numer- 
ous as  to  be  almost  within  sight  of  one  another.  That 
at  Dondra  Head  stands  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet 
above  sea  level.  The  vessels  which  make  this  circuit 
stop  at  each  of  the  large  ports  to  discharge  and  take  on 
cargo,  thus  enabling  the  traveler  to  land  and  get  a 
very  good  general  idea  of  each  place  with  its  near 
surroundings.  If  the  visitor  desires  to  do  so,  he  can 
remain  at  any  of  these  places  until  the  boat  comes 
again  in  its  regular  course,  when  the  journey  may  be 
resumed.  It  is  well  to  stop  at  Point  Pedro  and  at 
Jaffna  in  this  way,  as  they  are  neighborhoods  of 
more  than  ordinary  interest,  both  present  and  his- 


324  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

toric.  We  should  advise  a  few  days'  delay  also  at 
Ramisseram,  a  part  of  the  time  being  divided  between 
this  place  and  the  large  island  of  Manaar,  which  is 
quite  accessible. 

The  pleasantest  way  to  accomplish  this  circuit  is 
to  take  the  boat  at  Point  de  Galle,  the  first  place  at 
which  it  is  desirable  to  land  being  Batticaloa,  the 
capital  of  the  eastern  province.  There  is  a  bar  at 
the  mouth  of  this  harbor  which  is  a  serious  impedi- 
ment to  making  an  entrance  into  the  little  bay. 
When  the  sea  breeze  is  strong,  and  during  the  south- 
east monsoon,  a  line  of  breakers  is  created  upon  the 
shoal,  and  no  attempt  is  made  to  land.  This  is  a 
great  rice-raising  region,  which  gets  its  artificial  water 
supply  from  two  extensive  neighboring  lakes  or  tanks. 
Twenty-five  thousand  acres  of  land  may  be  seen 
hereabouts  under  rice  cultivation,  yielding  two  crops 
per  annum.  The  Portuguese  built  a  substantial  stone 
fort  at  Batticaloa,  which  was  afterwards  added  to  and 
strengthened  by  the  Dutch,  and  latterly  still  further 
improved  by  the  English.  There  is  plenty  of  wild  game 
in  this  region,  including  the  huge  elephant,  though  this 
animal  is  more  numerous  in  the  central  provinces 
and  at  the  north.  Here  one  has  a  chance,  upon  a  still 
night,  of  hearing  the  vocal  performance  of  the  sing- 
ing fishes,  and  also  of  witnessing  the  native  sport  of 
shooting  fish.  The  Tamils  go  out  in  boats  just  off- 
shore, carrying  lighted  torches,  the  fire  of  which  at- 
tracts the  curiosity  of  the  fishes,  bringing  them  to  the 


POINT  PEDRO.  325 

surface,  when  the  boatmen  shoot  them  with  bows  and 
short  arrows.  To  the  latter  a  thin,  light  string  is 
attached,  by  which  the  fishes  are  promptly  secured. 
From  here  the  packet  boat  goes  north  to  Trincomalee, 
already  described,  thence  to  Point  Pedro,  the  extreme 
northern  part  of  Ceylon,  —  Punta  das  Pedras,  the 
"rocky  cape."  We  have  said  that  this  is  the  ex- 
treme northern  point  of  Ceylon,  but  let  us  qualify  the 
remark.  Though  it  is  generally  so  considered,  Point 
Palmyra,  a  promontory  situated  a  few  miles  to  the 
westward,  is  really  still  farther  north.  The  humble 
Tamil  women  of  this  district  are  fine  upright  figures 
in  their  simple  costume,  which  consists  of  a  long  fold 
of  cotton  cloth  enveloping  the  body  below  the  waist 
and  thrown  carelessly  over  the  left  shoulder,  leaving 
the  right  ami  and  bust  free.  Women  who  from  girl- 
hood always  carry  burdens  upon  their  heads  never  fail 
to  have  an  upright  and  stately  carriage.  As  before 
intimated,  the  Tamil  women  are  far  handsomer  in 
features  than  the  Singhalese  race.  The  Jaffna  penin- 
sula has  been  peopled  by  the  Tamil  race  for  two 
thousand  years  or  more. 

Point  Pedro  is  a  small  town,  and  the  harbor  does 
not  deserve  the  name,  being  only  an  open  roadstead 
sheltered  by  a  coral  reef,  where  a  number  of  vessels 
of  moderate  size  are  nearly  always  to  be  seen.  Its 
commerce  is  limited  to  the  export  of  tobacco,  co- 
coanut  oil,  and  cabinet  woods.  The  trade  is  almost 
entirely  with  continental  India,  from  whence  rice  is 


326  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

largely  imported.  Some  cattle,  sheep,  and  elephants 
are  also  shipped  from  here  to  southern  India,  the 
government  realizing  a  royalty  upon  each  of  the  last- 
named  animals  exported. 

Jaffna  is  over  two  hundred  miles  from  Colombo  by 
land,  and  is  peopled  mostly  by  Tamils,  who  have  a 
record  connected  with  their  settlement  here  reaching 
back  for  many  centuries.  The  population  of  the 
entire  peninsula  is  recorded  as  being  about  two  hun- 
dred thousand,  to  meet  whose  spiritual  wants  there 
are  said  to  be  three  hundred  Hindu  temples  in 
this  northern  province.  The  peninsula  presents  one 
uniform  level,  and  is  unbroken  by  a  single  hill, 
scarcely  varied,  in  fact,  by  an  undulation  of  more 
than  a  very  few  feet.  This  dead  level  renders  the 
country  unfit  for  rice  culture,  as  it  prevents  the 
advantageous  flow  of  an  artificial  supply  of  water. 
By  much  labor  this  difficulty  :s  partially  overcome, 
and  considerable  rice  is  grown  in  various  parts  of  the 
district,  but  much  more  is  imported.  The  best  sheep 
in  Ceylon  are  raised  in  this  part  of  the  island ;  they 
have  long  hair  in  place  of  wool,  and  to  the  uninitiated 
seem  more  like  goats  than  sheep. 

The  Dutch  left  the  impress  of  their  residence  here 
in  the  characteristic  style  of  the  architecture,  —  low, 
substantial,  broad-spread  stone  buildings,  which  still 
remain.  These  homes  are  detached,  and  surrounded 
by  garden  plots  containing  thrifty  fruit  trees  and 
charming  flowers,  supplemented  by  graceful  creeping 


JAFFNA   PENINSULA.  827 

and  flowering  vines  upon  the  dark  gray  old  walls  of 
the  dwellings.  The  streets  of  the  town  are  wide  and 
regular,  shaded  by  an  abundance  of  handsome  tulip- 
trees.  There  are  at  least  forty  thousand  people 
living  in  and  immediately  around  Jaffna.  It  has  a 
certain  oriental  look,  especially  in  the  quarters  where 
the  native  bazaars  are  situated,  thronged  by  copper- 
colored  men  and  women.  This  region  is  well  wooded, 
the  predominating  tree  being  the  palmyra  palm. 

The  dry  grains,  such  as  millet  and  the  like,  are 
much  cultivated  in  the  north,  while  at  the  south  the 
entire  farming  population  seem  to  devote  their  energy 
to  the  raising  of  rice.  The  soil  throughout  the 
Jaffna  peninsula  is  very  light,  requiring  much  care- 
ful culture  in  order  to  produce  satisfactory  results. 
It  was  long  before  the  necessity  of  using  fertilizers 
upon  the  soil  was  realized  in  this  region,  but  when 
the  plan  was  once  adopted  and  its  importance  thus 
demonstrated,  it  was  henceforth  employed  systemati- 
cally. In  the  neighborhood  of  populous  centres  in 
the  island,  north  and  south,  the  natives  milk  their  cows 
to  supply  a  certain  demand  confined  to  Europeans 
mostly,  but  do  not  themselves  use  milk  to  any  great 
extent.  The  calves  have  the  benefit  of  this  absti- 
nence on  the  part  of  the  farmers.  It  is  the  same  in 
China,  where  the  people  at  large  never  use  milk.  In 
this  Jaffna  district,  goats'  milk  is  made  into  excellent 
cheese. 

All  along  the  shore  in  this  neighborhood  the  bot- 


328  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

torn  of  the  sea  is  formed  of  pure  white  sand,  and  is 
as  level  as  a  parlor  floor,  while  the  water  is  so  clear 
that  any  object  is  distinctly  seen  below  its  surface. 
One  may  behold  a  sort  of  Neptune's  Garden  at  many 
points,  similar  to,  but  not  quite  equaling,  that  de- 
scribed at  Point  de  Galle.  The  eye  is  delighted  by 
bright-hued  anemones,  as  large  as  a  cauliflower,  to- 
gether with  strange  fishes  in  vivid  colors,  extensive 
coral,  star-fish  in  blue  and  scarlet,  and  busy,  smoky- 
groves  of  green  crabs  in  search  of  their  marine  food. 
Such  spots  form  a  sort  of  museum,  only  Nature  does 
these  things  with  a  royal  hand,  and  not  in  a  penny- 
wise,  showman  fashion. 

A  repulsive-looking  creature  which  is  made  a  source 
of  profit  abounds  on  this  shore,  —  a  flat  slug,  five  or 
six  inches  long.  Next  to  the  edible  bird's  nests,  it  is 
considered  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  luxuries  in  their 
country.  They  are  found  below  the  surface  of  the 
water,  at  a  depth  varying  from  one  to  five  fathoms, 
and  the  collection  of  them  forms  a  considerable  occu- 
pation on  the  northwest  coast.  The  natives  do  not 
appreciate  these  slugs.  They  are  cured  and  exported 
solely  by  a  small  colony  of  Chinese,  who  have  settled 
in  this  neighborhood  for  the  purpose,  and  who  find 
ample  support  in  the  occupation. 

Jaffna  is  a  great  centre  of  American  missionary 
work,  and  is  also  the  see  of  a  Roman  Catholic  bishop. 
The  American  mission  was  begun  here  as  early  as 
1816,  and  has  gone  onward  ever  since,  increasing  in 


AMERICAN  MISSIONARIES.  329 

its  schools,  chapels,  and  the  number  of  instructors. 
An  excellent  work  consummated  here,  in  connection 
with  the  American  mission,  is  the  establishment  of  a 
Medical  Bureau.  The  mission  has  long  needed  such 
an  aid  in  its  own  behalf,  and  its  services  are  also 
freely  extended  to  the  native  population.  Such  prac- 
tical benefit  as  must  accrue  to  the  people  at  large  will 
do  more  to  abolish  "devil-dancing"  and  other  absurd- 
ities, intended  to  exorcise  evil  spirits  from  the  bodies 
of  invalids,  than  any  amount  of  reasoning  with  the 
poor,  ignorant  creatures.  Within  the  old  fort  is  the 
ancient  Dutch  Presbyterian  church,  and  facing  the 
esplanade  are  the  Anglican  and  Wesleyan  churches. 

One  sees  comparatively  few  Singhalese  proper  in 
this  region,  or  in  fact  anywhere  north  of  the  central 
province.  The  habits  of  the  common  people  of  the 
Jaffna  peninsula  are  represented  to  be  of  a  highly 
objectionable  character,  which  does  not  argue  well  for 
the  long-established  missionaries  who  have  such  sway 
here.  Self-respect  is  said  to  be  a  forgotten  virtue 
with  both  sexes  of  the  Tamil  race,  as  well  as  with  the 
other  mixed  nationalities.  These  people  seem  to  be 
born  with  strange  proclivities  in  their  blood,  and  there 
is  certainly  very  little  improvement  to  be  observed  in 
their  condition  as  regards  the  influence  of  Christianity 
upon  their  daily  lives. 

In  olden  times,  as  already  intimated,  Ceylon  was 
known  in  the  East  by  the  name  of  Naga-dwipa,  — 
"  Snake  Isle,"  —  and  it  would  seem  not  without  good 


330  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

reason,  for  until  quite  lately  there  was  a  snake-tem- 
ple on  the  island  of  Naiwativoe,  which  lies  just  off  the 
shore,  west  of  Jaffna,  where  many  serpents  were  nour- 
ished and  cared  for,  including  a  number  of  deadly 
cobras,  by  an  organized  corps  of  priests.  There  is, 
or  was  very  lately,  a  cobra-temple  upon  what  is  known 
as  the  Twin  Isle,  twenty  miles  further  south,  and  east- 
ward of  Ramisseram.  It  is  therefore  plain  enough 
that  there  were  once  plenty  of  serpent-worshiping 
tribes  in  various  parts  of  Ceylon. 

We  know  that  the  worship  of  the  snake  is  a  very 
ancient  creed.  Mexicans,  Egyptians,  Hindus,  Baby- 
lonians, and  Buddhists  have  been  devotees  to  this  idea. 
All  stories  or  legends  of  the  creation  contain  some 
reference  to  the  serpent,  which  also,  according  to  Bib- 
lical lore,  played  its  part  in  the  expulsion  of  Adam 
and  Eve  from  the  Garden  of  Eden. 

We  have  failed  to  mention  heretofore  that  the 
remains  of  certain  Druidical  circles  of  stone  are  occa- 
sionally found  in  both  the  northern  and  southern  por- 
tions of  Ceylon,  indicating  that  the  Druidical  form 
of  worship,  which  is  supposed  to  be  that  of  the  Phoe- 
nicians, must  have  once  prevailed  upon  this  island. 
These  tokens  belong  to  a  period  a  thousand  years 
prior  to  the  founding  of  the  "  buried  cities "  which 
we  have  described. 

On  leaving  Jaffna,  the  coasting  steamer  steers 
southward  through  the  Gulf  of  Manaar,  following  the 
Paumben  Channel,  past  Adam's  Bridge.  A  call  is 


A    UNIQUE   TEMPLE.  331 

made  at  the  "  holy  "  island  of  Ramisseram,  where  a 
visit  may  be  made  to  the  great  Hindu  temple  situ- 
ated on  the  east  end  of  the  island.  Kamisseram  is 
fourteen  miles  long  by  about  five  in  width.  The 
dimensions  of  the  temple  upon  the  ground  are  eight 
hundred  and  sixty-eight  feet  by  six  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-two in  width,  far  exceeding  any  other  shrine  or 
building  in  the  island  of  Ceylon.  Like  the  temples 
of  Tanjore,  Madura,  and  Trichinopoly  in  continental 
India,  it  is  massive  and  tawdry,  but  still  is  the 
annual  resort  of  hosts  of  devout  pilgrims  from  vast 
distances,  who  have  impoverished  themselves,  proba- 
bly, to  perform  this  pilgrimage.  They  expect  by  such 
an  exhibition  of  reverence  to  be  freed  from  all  sin 
with  the  punishment  it  entails,  and  to  fully  merit 
Paradise.  The  ceiling  of  the  great  temple  consists 
of  vast  masses  of  granite  slabs  supported  by  carved 
stone  pillars  twelve  feet  high,  each  of  which  is  a  mon- 
olith. This  Hindu  temple  of  Ramisseram  is  unique ; 
as  to  its  age,  it  is  between  four  and  five  hundred 
years  old.  The  fables  one  hears  relating  to  this 
shrine  are  legion,  all  thoroughly  tinctured  with  gross 
absurdities ;  still,  the  place  is  well  worth  a  visit,  and 
careful  study. 

The  island  of  Manaar,  close  at  hand,  off  the  west 
coast,  and  from  which  Adam's  Bridge  extends 
towards  the  continent  of  India,  is  eighteen  miles 
long,  and  but  three  or  four  wide.  There  is  nothing 
here  to  invite  a  visit  from  the  casual  traveler.  The 


332  THE  PEARL   OF  INDIA. 

soil  is  sandy  and  poorly  adapted  to  agriculture.  It 
has,  however,  large  groves  of  cocoanut  and  palmyra 
palms,  with  very  good  pasturage.  Goats  and  cattle 
are  bred  here  to  a  considerable  extent,  and  a  peculiar 
hard  cheese  is  an  article  of  export.  The  island  is  a 
hundred  and  forty  miles  by  water  from  Colombo. 
There  is  a  fort  at  the  town  of  Manaar,  situated  on  the 
southeastern  extremity  of  the  island.  The  harbor  is 
too  shallow  to  admit  vessels  drawing  over  eight  or 
ten  feet  of  water,  but  is  completely  sheltered.  There 
are  some  twenty  villages  on  this  comparatively  bar- 
ren slip  of  land,  but  the  people  seem  to  be  thrifty 
and  healthy.  There  is  no  malaria  here.  It  is  a 
Roman  Catholic  centre,  and  most  of  the  people  are 
of  that  faith. 

Again  taking  the  steam x  packet,  we  proceed  south- 
ward by  Aripo,  the  famous  pearl-fishing  grounds  of 
the  Gulf  of  Manaar,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  the  capital.  If  we  pass  near  enough  to 
the  west  coast  of  the  island  to  observe  the  shore  in 
this  vicinity,  it  will  be  found  that  nothing  can  exceed 
the  desolation  which  it  presents.  It  is  barren,  low, 
and  sandy,  with  here  and  there  a  scrubby  jungle  and 
an  occasional  reach  of  stunted  herbage.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  realize  that  such  a  locality  can  be  the  source 
of  wealth  of  any  sort,  and  particularly  that  it  is 
the  natal  place  of  that  loveliest  and  purest  of  gems, 
the  oriental  pearl. 

Still    sailing    southward,  we  find  ourselves  in  due 


INDIAN  COOLIES.  333 

time  opposite  Negombo,  seven  or  eight  leagues  north 
of  Colombo.  This  little  seaport  is  the  outlet  to  a 
fine  agricultural  country,  where  cattle  and  garden 
products  are  raised  for  the  support  of  the  capital, 
with  which  it  has  an  inland  water  connection.  This 
place  is  famous  for  its  fruit  gardens,  —  exotic  fruits, 
originally  introduced  from  Java  and  the  Malacca 
peninsula.  It  is  one  of  the  most  rural  spots  in  the 
island,  famous  for  its  cinnamon  estates.  The  trav- 
eler's attention  is  sure  to  be  called  to  a  noble  spe- 
cimen of  the  banian-tree  at  this  attractive  seaside 
place,  and  also  to  an  old  and  most  curious,  many- 
headed  cocoanut-tree.  The  town  has  a  fine  esplanade 
bordering  the  sea,  and  a  very  comfortable  rest-house 
for  the  stranger.  After  passing  the  Bight  of  Ne- 
gombo, we  soon  enter  the  harbor  of  Colombo,  and  as 
we  do  so,  an  English  mail  steam  packet  is  passed 
whose  decks  are  crowded  with  cooKes  bound  for 
Tuticorin,  a  port  two  hundred  miles  away,  across  the 
Gulf  of  Manaar.  The  planters  of  Ceylon  import 
these  dusky  laborers  from  southern  India  at  harvest 
time,  when  the  tea  and  coffee  fields  yield  their  an- 
nual product.  The  poor  creatures  are  very  glad  to 
earn  a  small  sum  of  money  in  this  service,  wherewith 
to  eke  out  their  necessary  home  expenses.  When 
the  Ceylon  harvest  is  over,  they  return  to  their  hum- 
ble homes  in  this  manner,  the  planters  paying  for 
their  transportation  both  ways. 

From  our  standpoint  on  the  bridge  of  the  coasting 


334  THE  PEARL    OF  INDIA. 

steamer,  we  overlook  the  forward  deck  of  the  mail 
packet,  where  the  homeward  bound  coolies  form 
strangely  picturesque  groups  in  their  rags  and  na- 
kedness, mingled  with  occasional  bits  of  highly  col- 
ored clothing.  A  white  turban,  a  red  fez,  a  bandana 
kerchief  bound  about  a  woman's  head,  whose  infant 
is  lashed  to  her  back  in  sleepy  unconsciousness,  all 
combine  to  produce  a  striking  kaleidoscopic  effect. 

A  southwest  monsoon  is  coming  on,  and  there  will 
presently  be  a  fierce  downpour  of  rain.  The  coolies 
will  have  but  one  night  to  pass  on  the  troubled  sea, 
but  it  will  be  for  them  a  wretched  one,  —  seasick,  ill- 
fed,  and  poorly  sheltered  creatures.  Their  small  an- 
nual pittance  is  insignificant  compensation  for  what 
they  have  to  perform  and  what  they  endure.  There 
are  two  or  three  hundred  of  them,  herded  like  cattle  ; 
there  is  no  cabin,  —  deck  passage  is  all  that  is  paid 
for ;  and  such  rs  considered  quite  good  enough  accom- 
modations for  these  very  humble  Tamils.  There  is 
said  to  be  compensation  in  the  life  of  every  living 
being,  but  it  is  difficult  to  point  out  wherein  the  prin- 
ciple applies  to  these  low  caste  Indians. 

Before  leaving  Colombo,  an  earnest  desire  possessed 
the  author  to  see  the  town  from  the  bay,  under  the 
charm  imparted  by  an  equatorial  moon  and  starlight. 
A  couple  of  native  oarsmen  and  a  comfortable  boat 
afforded  the  means  of  gratifying  this  wish,  all  the 
stronger  from  the  fresh  memory  of  a  like  experience, 


FAREWELL    VISION.  335 

not  long  ago,  off  the  historic  island  of  Malta.  The 
view  of  Colombo,  it  must  be  acknowledged,  was  a 
disappointment.  It  is  too  thickly  embowered  with 
palms  to  form  a  pleasing  picture  of  itself  :  but  ah, 
the  tropical  night,  luxurious  and  calm,  with  its  won- 
derful brilliancy  above,  and  its  dark,  mysterious 
shadows  below !  The  molten  silver  on  which  we  idly 
floated  had  just  ripple  sufficient  to  double  its  reflec- 
tive power,  lit  by  an  occasional  flash  of  phospho- 
rescence when  the  oars  were  dipped.  The  hoarse 
murmur  of  the  outside  sea  beating  against  the  stout 
breakwater ;  the  head  and  stern  lights  of  the  ship- 
ping at  anchor,  distributed  here  and  there ;  the  flash- 
ing eye  of  fire  from  the  lighthouse,  casting  its  long 
golden  wake  seaward ;  the  dancing  lamps  on  the  low- 
lying  shore  of  the  Singhalese  capital,  with  the  soft 
strains  of  music  from  an  English  bungalow  in  the 
half -moon  bend  of  the  beach,  —  all  together  formed 
a  delightful  picture,  leaving  a  typical  scene  deeply 
engraved  on  the  memory. 

Land,  sea,  and  star-illumined  sky,  everything  charm- 
ingly bright  with  the  tender  kiss  of  moonlight,  how 
absolutely  perfect  was  our  farewell  vision  of  this 
44  utmost "  Indian  isle. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  5O  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


4 


FEB   5 


14  ii 


LD  21-100m-7,'39(402s; 


f 


